F1 Gossip: Fernando Alonso closing on comeback with Renault?

In today's F1 gossip, Fernando Alonso is reportedly closing in on a sensational F1 comeback with Renault, McLaren boss reveals team courted Daniel Ricciardo for 'years', and Toto Wolff admits hiring Sebastian Vettel would have marketing value for Mercedes...

- Fernando Alonso is reportedly moving closer to an extraordinary return to the Formula 1 grid with Renault for the 2021 season, with several sources confirming the existence of discussions between the two parties (Auto Hebdo) 

- McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has revealed the team has been courting Daniel Ricciardo for a number of years, having agreed a deal for the Australian to replace the Ferrari-bound Carlos Sainz in its line-up alongside Lando Norris for 2021 (Formula 1) 

- Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admits hiring Sebastian Vettel would have marketing value for Mercedes but insist the team is “pursuing a long-term strategy” with its current driver pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas (ORF) 

- Carlos Sainz has been backed to surprise at Ferrari when he teams up with Charles Leclerc at the Scuderia next year, according to the Spaniard’s former F3 boss, Trevor Carlin (Reuters) 

- The official F1 2020 Codemasters video game could get a ‘real season’ patch so played can race the revised 2020 race schedule as well as the originally planned 22-round calendar (RaceFans) 

- A virtual version of the world’s most famous endurance race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has been scheduled for June 13-14 after the 88th edition of the real-world event was postponed to September due to the coronavirus pandemic (ESPN) 

- Rare BBC Newsreel footage of the British and European Grand Prix - designated as the first ever F1 world championship race - on 13 May 1950, has been unearthed (BBC)