Jacques Villeneuve is a huge fan of Fernando Alonso, and every time he talks about the Oviedo native, he shows the great respect he has for him, whom he considers one of the greatest drivers in the history of F1. A few weeks ago, he said that Alonso was better than Hamilton, and now he ranks him above Max Verstappen, and he has plenty of arguments to justify his statements.
Jacques Villeneuve surrenders to Fernando Alonso
Jacques Villeneuve, 1997 F1 world champion with Williams, has once again praised Fernando Alonso to the skies, as is his custom. He has always shown his admiration for the Spanish driver, whom he ranks among the best in the sport.
Once again, on the podcast ‘The Red Flags’, he has praised the Asturian driver, and while a few days ago he argued why Fernando Alonso is better than Hamilton, this time he has explained why he is also better than Verstappen.
Jacques Villeneuve insists that titles are not everything in this competition. Often, world champion drivers achieve success not only because of their talent, but also because of the machine they have at their disposal, and as with Hamilton, he believes that Verstappen has had the dominant car that has allowed him to win his four world titles.
“It’s not just about the number of titles. If you look at his first championship, he won it fairly. But the next three were his from the start, with a clear advantage.”
Alonso, a born competitor
Jacques Villeneuve highlights the competitive spirit of Fernando Alonso, a hallmark of his entire career as a driver, and although this spirit resembles that of the Dutch driver, he believes that the Asturian’s is more deserving due to his long career in motor racing.
“Just as Alonso never stops competing, Verstappen also lives and breathes racing. He comes home and continues practicing with simulators. He is always thinking about the car’s setup for the next race. Racing is the most important thing for him.”
But he insists on the competitive level demonstrated by Fernando Alonso, not only in F1, but also in other motor sports in which he participated during his short break from F1.
“Alonso has been at the top for many more years and also won at Le Mans. If, in five or ten years’ time, Verstappen achieves similar things outside F1, then we can compare them again. But right now, Alonso has the edge.”
He believes that Verstappen, if he continues in the same vein he has shown in F1 over the years, will be able to reach the level of Fernando Alonso, but he knows that it will be difficult to reach the extreme level that the Oviedo-born driver has demonstrated year after year. “We still don’t know if Max will be like that in 10 or 15 years. That’s what sets Fernando apart today.”
At 44, Fernando Alonso is still fighting like he did on his first day and is pushing hard for his third F1 World Championship. Even if he achieves it, he will still be below what he deserves, below the level he has shown year after year, but he will be able to put the icing on the cake of a career in which titles have eluded him but which has earned him the admiration of the motor racing world. In 2026, he will seek to return to the top of F1 and, if he succeeds, he will have another chance to win another title, but if he fails to get Aston Martin to the top, he may say goodbye to the world’s top motor racing competition.