Double world champion Fernando Alonso will stick with Renault next season, alongside Brazilian Nelson Piquet, the team announced in a statement on Wednesday. “We are happy to confirm both Fernando and Nelson for next season,” said team general director Flavio Briatore. “This gives the ING Renault F1 Team one of the most exciting driver pairings with the perfect blend of youth and experience. “Fernando's commitment for the next two seasons confirms the faith he has in the team and we are delighted to continue working with him,” the statement read. Alonso rejoined Renault, with whom he won his two championships in 2005 and 2006, before enduring a difficult season alongside Lewis Hamilton at McLaren. Hamilton, who became the youngest ever world champion last week at 23 - bettering Alonso's 24 years and two months at the time of the latter's first title - earlier stressed he was staying put with McLaren. “I love this team. I'm not going anywhere,” Hamilton, the first black racer to take the drivers' title, said as he returned in triumph to team headquarters at Woking, south-west of London, to thank the huge back-up team behind his success. Piquet, who said he had learned a lot across the season and vowed to improve, struggled after he was promoted from test driver but placed second at Hockenheim and then a respectable fourth in Japan. FIA changes stewarding rules Stewarding rules will be revised in Formula One next year in a bid to reduce the number of controversial decisions, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) said on Wednesday. Engine life will be extended from two to three races in 2009 and the Chinese Grand Prix will be staged in April instead of October, the FIA also said in a statement after a meeting of its world council in Paris. FIA published a calendar featuring 17 races and from which Canada and France were dropped as planned. National stewards, FIA said, will be required to observe a minimum of one race before officiating for the first time. A new replay system will be available to stewards and all incidents will be investigated and action taken during the race unless further evidence is absolutely needed, FIA added. A written explanation of stewards' decisions will be published on the FIA website after the race. Former drivers will be able to apply for national stewarding licences, the ruling body added. The stewards, a panel consisting of two international ones and a national one, made a number of controversial decisions this season, some of which led to teams lodging an appeal.
