No change at top teams

By Jonathan Gill

11th November 2008

For the first time in modern grand prix history, all the top teams will have the same driver line-ups in 2009 as they did this year.

Ferrari, McLaren, BMW-Sauber and Toyota had already confirmed that they would be keeping their current names. And last week, Renault announced it would be sticking with Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet. Alonso’s future had been the subject of speculation in recent months, but with Ferrari opting to extend Kimi Raikkonen’s contract, the Spaniard’s only other option was to join Honda. Despite the promise of a more lucrative pay packet, the double champ has turned down the Japanese team’s offer, following Renault’s strong finish to the season. “After a difficult start, we’ve overcome our difficulties and improved our performance,” said Alonso, who actually outscored Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa in the final five grands prix of 2008. “My back-to-back wins in Singapore and Japan and second place in Brazil have proved how competitive we can be.”