Briatore: Alonso is better than Schumacher
18 September, 2012
Sep.18 (GMM) Flavio Briatore, believes that Fernando Alonso is better than Michael Schumacher, and the controversial former F1 boss would know a thing or two of both drivers as he steered them both to world title triumphs.
“He [Alonso] is the best of the last 20 years,” said the former Benetton and Renault boss.
Briatore told Italy’s Sky Sport 24: “He (Alonso) is above Schumacher, but we are talking about very high levels and minimal differences.
“But Fernando makes very few mistakes, even under pressure, and his impression of the race is spectacular.”
The Italian, who remains involved in the Spaniard’s management, continued: “Sometimes a team can make mistakes with strategy but he can pull it back.
“And when he’s ahead, 90 per cent of the time he will win the race, even if the car is not competitive.
“He lives and breathes racing only,” added Briatore, who was banned from F1 amid the ‘crashgate’ scandal of 2008/9.
On the 2012 season more generally, Briatore thinks Alonso can win the championship but “Ferrari has to improve the car so that Alonso can win at least one more grand prix without McLaren being second.
“There are many points, but if you’re not first or second, there are only crumbs,” he said.
Told that Red Bull’s era of dominance is over, Briatore insisted “I don’t think so”, while he praised the Swiss team Sauber, who are “proof that money doesn’t make the difference”.
As for Romain Grosjean, who – once championed by Briatore – is emerging this weekend from a rare FIA race ban, Briatore said: “The federation did well. He (Grosjean) uses the car as though it’s his, so he must begin to respect the work of [the Lotus] people because he causes many accidents.”
“I would like to see what Alonso could do in his place,” he added.
Subbed by AJN.
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@ quattro_T:
My point was:
A, the tuned mass damper gave the car the initial advantage.
B, Alonso again managed to still think his way through the final.
C, The FIA stopped the tuned mass damper against the stewards and other officials who ruled it OK thus playing in to the hands of Ferrari.
I think most of my point is in agreeance with you apart from the damper beingan initial advantage under the old points system.
@McLaren Fan
Actually no, I do not think that would make a major factor. On the contrary, the mass dampers could have been what lost Renault the championship!
The mass dampers if remember correctly came to use at very end of 2005. In 2006 FIA forced Renault to remove them from German Grand Prix onwards, even though stewards at the German Grand Prix (and FIA itself back in 2005) had agreed that the system was legal. FIA choose to protest the decision taken by its own stewards (!) to get them banned.
The R26, was initially designed with the system in mind and what made bad worse was that the banning came during the summer testing ban, making it impossible for Renault to test alternative parts. At the Hockenheimring, after being very competitive in prev races, Renault drivers struggled home fifth and sixth while Ferrari romped to a one-two. At the time, as you are mentioning, reports hinted that many in the paddock suggested the governing body were trying to engineer a final championship victory for the then retiring Michael Schumacher. That nearly became the case as Renault went from regulary fighting for wins to struggling for podiums. I would not call that an advantage. To be completely franc, I felt it was a great achievment that ALO still managed to do it that year, inspite of all this.
And all these comments that are being written just puts more money in his pocket…..
Like everybody mentioned Briatore wanted to be in the media exposure. He don’t know how Michael has rebuilt the ferrari as winning force. I do have respect Alonso but as an overall package still Michael has an edge over everybody else
IMHO Alonso is better. I started watching F1 when Schumi was driving (after 2000) but when I look back, in the same car I do not see Alonso losing any of those WDC’s 2000-2004. Likewise looking at 2005-6 I cannot for certain say that Schumi would have won them in the Renault, with say Alonso in the Ferrari esp 2006. Alonso is driving at a very difficult time unlike Schumi. This is not football where technology plays a wee part. In football you can try to compare Pele and Messi and Maradona basing on pure talent. Today Alonso is making very few if not any unforced errors since 2010. This crap of “building the team” who wants to hear? Let’s debate on issues we can all see. I am not an Alonso fan. And I do not hate any drivers like some morons who have made comments here do.
I agree with Flavio Briatore. Fernando Alonso is better than Michael Schumacher!!! For those who say that Schumi is better bcoz he has 7 WDCs compared to Alonso’s 2, Schumi won when in season testing was allowed and Ferrari used all their resources possible to build the best car. They have the resources today as well but bcoz of the Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA), they can not use it. Allow in season testing and scrap RRA, then Alonso will win 7 WDCs in 7 years!!
“Alonso is better than Schumi”
Pfffftt that statement is so crappy even my morning crap feels ashamed. Flavio just wants to be in the news. Go create another Crashgate you ugly twat.
Both of them are such brilliant drivers. They are not comparable since both came from the same team with 2WDC and came to Ferrari. We don’t know if Alo can emulate another 5WDC since he is still young. Remember it took at least 5 or more years for Schumi to win the 5 consecutive WDC. Alo is still on his 3rd yr.
I don’t want to compare them both since they have respect for each other!
But I do wish this old man’s mouth to shut up. His words are not necessary anymore in F1!
@Quattro_T:
You make an interesting point but you forgot one major factor in the Renault / Alonso era both seasons he had a car that could corner faster because of the tuned mass damper system.
As we know it was later deemed illegal by the FIA on appeal.
At that time Alonso had a serious lead in the championship and all said it was Ferrari International Assistance stepping in as the stewards said the system was legal and the FIA wanted it banned.
all alonso can do is drive and give moral support to ferrari as schumi build the team around him with technical know how. in the end ferrari will fail alonso as they have in the past year failing miserably when it counts. lousy pitstop called by domenicali costing alonso the championship. haha. lol. lmao.
yeah flavio! alonso is indeed better than schumi. he is better because he conspired with you in the crashgate controversy also alonso is indeed better in the mclaren liegate controversy. you are controversy written all over it. that is why you are banned from f1. blabber all you want you cheat!
The ‘No N’ are not supposed to be there in my previous post.*
Just pointing out to those who think number of championships tells you who is ‘best’: That is wrong. By that logic Gilles Villeneuve was worse than James Hunt, and we all know that’s not true.
As for bringing a team together, it is well known that Alonso hangs out at Maranello most weekdays, boosting the morale of the team, etc., much like a 90s Schumacher.
Alonso > Schumacher? No way of telling any more.
No
N
As a Ferrari fan, both of them are driving for Ferrari. No matter which of them are better. Mr.Briatore has made clear subsequently that he did not rate Jenson Button. But last season Button has proven to out shining his highly rated team mate Lewis hamilton, which has forced Briatore to re-evaluate Button.
I think Briatore is in serious financial need if he needs te be Alonso’s media employee.
On Alonso’s sign, it is well worth of creating such bullshit articles, he may $1 million / year to do this and he can earn $10 millions from the media effect.
Always believed that whoever dethroned Schuh would become the defacto best F1 driver of the current era. I didn’t need Flavio to tell me this as I already knew it. But whether Alonso is better than Schuh? Last I counted he’s 5 WDCs short of MS’s record…
Alonso is a nobody compared to scumacher. No tech skills,no testing skil”s,nothing,just a media hype
Even Alonso himself has repeatedly said in interviews about Schumacher: “I think Schumacher’s best, being a Ferrari, I realized how great he is and that he made ??the team Ferrari.”
@Quattro_T
well said mate. I agree.
If Alonso feels he been cheated by Briatore wouldnt be his manager still.
Renault at the time when they won there back to back WDC. They didn’t have a superior car as did Ferrari. I mean McLaren and Ferrari were around and they didnt win it. Renault did. They didnt cheat. If Alonso inst better then Schumi then tell me how Alonso defended himself against the great Schumi in the 2005 battle. He Schumi was in his prime when Alonso won his 2 WDC. Thats where most of Alonso’s respect as a driver comes from. He didnt just win the races or the WDC. He beats Schumi for his back to back World Driving Championships.
I must say its much more difficult…having 7 champions on the grid yet Alonso is winning and leading the WDC. It sure does prove much of his GREAT driving and racing ability. Alonso is also Ferrari’s development driver.
So how does one say on here that he doesn’t help create the specs of the car with his feedback? That it why he is signed till 2015.
There seems to be quite a few F1 “kids” in this post, posting pathetic bitter unknowledgable comments. They are ignored, at least by me – will respond to the only relevat comment posted by Andy – London.
@Andy – London
Since Fernando arrived at Ferrari in 2010 he have had slower cars compaired to both RB and Mclaren. The per lap difference have varied, but up to 1.5 seconds…PER LAP. If you take a look at the FIA statistics over points taken by all drivers since 2010 – Alonso, with that car, is beating EVERYONE apart from (the exhaust blown) VET. Webber, Hamilton, Button…all are behind. 2010 should be comparable to the 97/98 of SCH as ALO was champion until Ferrari messed up..
The 2012 season does not make you dissappointed eihter. Start the year with a car 1.4 seconds PER LAP down on RB/Mclaren. Basically all races thus far (except maybe Monza) Ferrari have been playing catch up and ALO having a few tenth slower car. What does the stats say? ALO on top with 37 points to 2nd, even though he was taken out in SPA start. Rain? Did you notice at what events and in what weather conditons Ferrari took their only poles in over two years? Rain rain rain. Not to mention the three race wins in that car. Other aspects that make Alonso greater than Schumacher (at least in my eyes) – ALO has harder competition AND he never tried to win a championship by crashing into his competitors. Damon Hill and Villeneuve can probably tell you much more about that.
so how much did Alonso paid Flavio to say these things??
lol,a cheaterA is compairing cheaterB with cheaterC
lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,
Only one way to find out, get them to swap cars haha!
Maybe that’s why he had Piquet crash? I can understand Rubens slowing down to let Schumi win was a disgrace but what about having a team mate crash to give Alonso a win? Is THIS how much BETTER he thinks Alonso is?
Briatore do us all a favor and f*** off back to your club in Sardegna.
Briatore has lost his mind! Yes, of course Alonso is an absolutely fantastic race driver, no doubt about it. And at the moment, yes, Alonso is better than Schumi but overall no one can even come close to Schumacher and his achievements. Schumi at his prime in a good car would definitely beat Alonso at his prime in a good car. Michael Schumacher was the most complete racing driver ever from 1994-2004. Unfortunately people tend to forget about the past. In 10 years Briatore will probably be saying that Sergio Perez or someone else is much better than Alonso and so on and so on. Briatore should just keep his ignorant mouth shut! Alonso is GREAT, but no way is he better than Schumi was in his prime.
Why does anyone take this clown seriously. Is his opinion even relevant, beyond reflecting his romantic love for the great Fernando in light of the fact that the only two championships Briatore won for Renault was with his greatest scouting discovery, the great Fernando at the wheel? The same great Fernando who has spent the last 5 years bested by “inferior” teams and drivers, unable to deal with the dweeb Hamilton for even one season… yet he’s the best of the best in the last 20 years of F1? Sorry, not buying it. Yes, Alonso is ahead in 2012, and is driving very well. Yet, he’s hardly dominating – something Schumacher did in not so great cars. This hyper-praise of the great FernAHndoh is getting seriously, pathetically, old. The opinions of Briatore even more so.
Well said Andy – London!
Both Michael & Fernando are great drivers & have contributed immensely to the presence of F1 ! Why give any credence to Crashgate FB with the scruples of a ditch.
I have to agree with most comments below.
Briatore, a has been user with no real talent apart from cheating and bringing the sport down.
The thing that i still think hurt’s Alonso is that he was a major participant of the use of Ferrari data at McLaren, Alonso also was the one who tried to BLACKMAIL Ron before Ron knew that Alonso was using Ferrari with Pedro to get more of an advantage.
Ron called in the FIA.
So Alonso had learned from Briatore to be a cheat.
Michael Schumacher took 1 team who were never going to be great and turned them in to a championship winning team. Then managed to resurrect Ferrari from the graveyard and restore the glory.
Alonso has learned that he has to climb above Briatore to try and emulate Michael Schumacher and not cheat his way there.
Is this the guy who caused nelson piquet jr and every other driver alongside alonso to crash, and always gave more importance to Alonso than anone !?
what he is saying!!??michael is 1000times greater than alonso……..i think he forgot the records of an outstanding career of schmacher……thats why he is saying such kind of nonsense thing…..if marcedes can provide schumi a well balanced car,,schumi ll definately in the winning streak once again…….no doubt…..he(schumi) is the best driver…..the one and only…..
Briatore sucks!! How can you compare Schumi and Alonso?First one is “BUILDER”, second one is “USER”.Schumi made Benetton-Renault a winning team.Then left and recover a DEAD team, as it was Ferrari at this moment(1996), until started to win title after title. Alonso( has my respect as driver) just followed into steps of Schumacher.He is good driver, Yes, but he never ever did all the technical and development work , as did Schumi. Even more, if the team fails to supply him a challenging car, he attacks the team( remember times when he returned to Renault from Mclaren). For Briatore, it’s better to keep his mouth closed.
We all know how he is fraud.
I’m not a fan of Schumi (Hill and Hakkinen fan), but this guy strikes out as cold blooded killer. Alonso still got a long way to go to match Schumi.
And the circumstances of the team when both of them joined Ferrari are astronomical.
We lucky to have so many champs on the grid.
How can you say Fernando is better than Schumacher… Schumacher has 7 world titles, 91 wins & 68 pole positions to his name.. Whereas Alonso has only 2 world titles..
It’s a shame that some people weren’t old enough to appreciate Michael at Ferrari before he won his world title with them. 1996 was an undriveable car yet Michael took a few wins and established himself as a genius in the wet. 1997 was amazing, but tainted by the Villeneuve incident. 1998 saw Michael drive brilliantly in what should have been a year of utter McLaren dominance with Hakkinen but yet again his wet weather skills nearly won him the title in an inferior car.
I’m also a huge Alonso fan and he’s definitely the closest we’ve had to Schumacher in terms of the driver making a difference in and out of the car.
Michael was an unbelievable talent in his ‘first career’, and Alonso is now.