Alonso rates his F1 rivals and slams his critics
15 February, 2011
Fernando Alonso shares his thoughts on his F1 rivals
Feb.15 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has given a fascinating insight into how he rates his closest rivals in formula one.
Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari F150th Italia
The Ferrari driver was asked by the Spanish sports daily AS to summarise his feelings about challengers Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and his own teammate Felipe Massa.
On world champion Vettel, Alonso answered: “Very fast and precise. If he is coming first in a race, he is difficult to stop.”
In the other Red Bull, Mark Webber is “experienced, calm and very consistent. It is very rare to see him fail.”
According to Alonso, 2009 world champion Jenson Button “has a great instinct for difficult races in rain or with the safety car. This is an unique talent,” he added.
Michael Schumacher confronts Fernando after an incident during qualifying for the 2010 Australian GP
Michael Schumacher had a difficult return to F1 in 2010 but “he is the champion, we all respect him and he is a driver always capable of surprising”, 29-year-old Alonso said.
Alonso said his own teammate Massa is “very quick, knows the team and is very hungry to win”.
Arguably the highest praise, however, is reserved for Alonso’s former arch nemesis Lewis Hamilton.
“He is a great driver and maybe the fastest at the moment in formula one,” he said.
Alonso also hit back at claims that while he is universally rated as perhaps F1′s best driver, he is far from the most popular.
Alonso fans were out in force at Jerez testing
“There are more than 30,000 people here,” he marvelled at last week’s Jerez test. “The people who speak badly about me then tremble and cry when they want to have their picture taken with me.
“There is a difference between how brave people feel writing on the internet, and when I see the admiration I receive all around the world,” added Alonso.
“I also think it’s easier to write that there are so many people who are anti-Alonso than to write that 30,000 people came to a test to see me,” he said.
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Hahahahha… Oh,you guys are funny. We all have our favourites…Fred said it right…. He was very fair…to all… You need a good machine to deliver,but like Enzo Ferrari once said,”it’s 50 % car,and 50% driver…. Il Commendatore is bang on….
If your head is not 100 percent committed to what’s under you,you will not succeed…Kobayashi was a perfect example… He pulled moves out of a magic hat last year….
Hamilton is fast,very,..then screws up in a royal way….
I think the guys to watch out for other than Vettel,Alonso,Button,Webber and Hamilton,will be Massa,Who seems to have his old fire…..and if he does,he will be a bullet….and Heidfeld…..This could have been Kubica’s year… If Heidfeld,like out of the blue,does a fastest lap after a long time away….He could be so suited to that Lotus Renault…..and,Barrichello…..That time was superb…..If that Williams gets consistent….watch out….The Mercedes…flip a coin….3,4,5th place car…Don’t know…but we will soon find out….
Yes Fernando you have been easy to dislike, for me it’s more the car you are in. I have to say i can now offer you the respect you deserve and thank you for your comments about Lewis, again it’s also got alot to do with the car he’s in for me!
why is everyone so obsessed with this typical arrogant Spaniard? And arrogance seems to follow him, as in Nemo^^^
Alonso is one of the greatest drivers of his generation and clearly a rival for Schumacher whom he defeated not once, but twice while driving arguably inferior machinery. Alonso and Hamilton are the two titans of F1 with Vettel the fastest rising star.
Great comments by Alonso, to all of the trolls out there