Many authoritative voices in Formula 1 agree that Fernando Alonso is one of the best drivers in the history of F1. However, this is not reflected in his record. To be recognized among the best, titles carry a lot of weight, and the Oviedo native has only been crowned twice. Nevertheless, this does not prevent authoritative voices in the sport from continuing to believe that he is among the best. The latest is Jacques Villeneuve, who believes that Alonso is better than Hamilton, the driver with the most titles in F1.
Alonso vs Hamilton
It could have been one of the great battles of the first quarter of a century in F1. Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are two of the greatest talents in the history of the sport. The Englishman burst onto the scene just after the Spanish driver won his second world title and, as fate would have it, he did so as his teammate in a McLaren that was a contender for the world championship. The decision by Ron Dennis, then team boss, to back Hamilton deprived Fernando Alonso and the team itself of a third world title, and not only that, it was the beginning of a series of poor decisions by the Spanish driver that have prevented him from returning to the top.
On the contrary, the English driver has been luckier and has known how to choose the destinations that have catapulted him to the top of F1 in terms of world titles. But for Jacques Villeneuve, it’s not just titles that count, and he believes that Fernando Alonso is a better driver than the Englishman.
Villeneuve praises Alonso
Jacques Villeneuve, who was world champion in 1997 with Williams, appeared on the podcast ‘The Red Flags’ and compared the Oviedo-born driver with Lewis Hamilton. For the former Canadian driver, there is no doubt that Alonso is above the Briton.
“I’ll put Alonso ahead because Hamilton has too many ups and downs. Even though he has all the championships, it’s not about the number of championships. If you look at each season, there have always been two, three, four races where he completely disappeared, then suddenly he woke up again and started winning again.”
Villeneuve believes that Hamilton has had the fastest car to win his championships, at a time when no one could overshadow Mercedes. “Too many of those championships were in a car that even Bottas would have won if Hamilton hadn’t been there.”
He believes that “Alonso remains consistent, even more so in this latest stage of his career with Aston Martin. Even though the car is no longer in a position to win races or finish on the podium, he remains hopeful for 2026. And he always strives for the best possible result for the team.”
A complacent Hamilton
Villeneuve believes that Hamilton has had a very comfortable life in F1, and when things got tough, he was unable to react.
“That led him to a place where he became complacent. He forgot how hard he had to fight. You can see that now. It’s a big shock for him that, in reality, he doesn’t have to fight as hard as he did in his first and second seasons, because the first championship he won was incredible. He fought very hard for it. But then, when the car became superior, he had too many easy years.”
Bad decisions by Fernando Alonso
In his view, Fernando Alonso has not been able to choose his destinations wisely to add to his list of achievements, which is why he has not been able to savor victories commensurate with his talent.
“He’s been bad at that. Hamilton made the right decisions at the right time. At the same time, there was no way of knowing that Mercedes would have that engine, which was so superior to the rest. It was a gamble. It was a big gamble, and it paid off. Alonso came close to winning with Ferrari twice until the last race. That small difference would have changed everything.”
The debate is on: Hamilton reigns supreme in Formula 1 with his seven world championships, but for many, Fernando Alonso is one of the greatest talents the sport has ever seen and one who has been unable to find the path to more world titles, which he undoubtedly deserved.