Ex-Ferrari boss: Alonso is best driver

Eurosport - Wed, 07 Jan 13:40:00 2009

Former Ferrari team boss Cesare Fiorio has claimed that Fernando Alonso is a better driver than Lewis Hamilton.

FORMULA 1 2008 Fernando Alonso Renault - 0

"In situations like this [with the raft of new technical and aerodynamic regulations for 2009], a team can gain an advantage over another because its engineers have had a hunch that turns out to work better," the 69-year-old reasoned. "In that context I have no doubts - I would prefer to have Alonso in my team, because for me he is still the best driver around."

Fiorio, the man who gave Alonso his F1 test debut with Minardi in 1999, added that an Alonso-Ferrari combination would give the entire field cause for concern.

"He is stronger even than Lewis Hamilton; the two are equal in terms of raw speed, but Fernando has a lower propensity to make mistakes. He's consistent, has a good rhythm inside the car and he's intelligent.

"He and Ferrari would represent an exceptional duo. In winning the constructors' world championship, Maranello showed that it had worked the best, both in the factory and at the races - but if you miss out on the drivers' title, perhaps the fault for that lies with the man in the cockpit."

Former F1 team owner Giancarlo Minardi echoed Fiorio's comments.

"It's undeniable that for Ferrari such a driver would be very useful.

"At the end of the day, he's the driver who up until now has given Hamilton the hardest time in equal equipment. He could beat him easily."

Crash.net / Eurosport

Comment 171 - 190 of 190

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  1. cause we all hate alonso

    From fnmg.21, on Sun 11 Jan 3:35PM

  2. cause we all hate alonso

    From fnmg.21, on Sun 11 Jan 3:35PM

  3. how can we compare 2 guys with different experience?­ alozo has been in formula 1 for a long time now...­ alonzo has been here for 2 years only... alonzo can­ still improve... true... but i think and also believe­ that alonzo is better than anyone else in the current­ driver roster... :) hopefully next season his car will­ be better... and at par with ferrari and mclaren...­ then you will see who will win the season... schumacher­ cant even beat him when renault was at par with­ ferrari... :)

    From michael.manauis, on Sun 11 Jan 6:57AM

  4. i think everyone is forgetting that you have to earn a­ spot on every team. lewis earned his with mclaren. ­ alonso lost his with mclaren. so, if alonso is a­ better driver, why did mclaren get rid of him? why­ didnt farrari pick him up. hmm, nuff said. funny f1­ drivers are young and the owners, bosses, old geezers­ that dont drive have to nerve to tell us, who is the­ best driver. seems to me that f1 is starting to be­ nothing but a bounch of cry babies about every little­ thing. i thought nascar, defunct cart, and the irl­ were bad...

    From Jay Money, on Sun 11 Jan 3:59AM

  5. Kimi will be best in 2009!!!

    From Smokey T, on Sun 11 Jan 1:42AM

  6. David C
    lets switch the drivers.Show me that Lewis can­ develop a car and then we talk.

    From meixidecity, on Sun 11 Jan 1:11AM

  7. David C
    lets switch the drivers.Show me that Lewis can­ develop a car and then we talk.

    From meixidecity, on Sun 11 Jan 1:08AM

  8. Alonso and Hamilton are both good. One cannot be a­ world champion without being very good. I feel it's­ disingenuous and doesn't make sense comparing them.­ Hamilton is still a rookie while Alonso is a veteran­ and more experienced. Hamilton has however made­ history. He would have won the title in his first year­ in F1. That's phenomenal. Time will tell who is the­ better driver.

    From Ebere, on Sat 10 Jan 11:47PM

  9. Giancarlo Minardi just said my thoughts­ aloud......Alonso - one of the best around right now...­ :)

    From anita s, on Sat 10 Jan 10:39PM

  10. I think that Lewis and Alonso are both very quick­ drivers. Probably the two fastest along with­ Raikonen.

    The difference is that Alonso is better car­ developer

    Never the less lots of credit to Hamilton­ for is achievement after only two seasons in Formula­ One

    Noe Mendes

    From noemadeira, on Sat 10 Jan 8:13PM

  11. i get really annoyed when little arrogant people feel­ the need to rubbish certain drivers when we all drive­ around at max 80mph. all the drivers are fantastic and­ wouldn't be in F1 if they weren't. However i do­ feel that a driver needs a good car and team support to­ be able to get a whiff of a podium finish. I think­ medals is a good idea cause if u look at how many times­ ferrari and maclaren cocked up on the 1st turn last­ season leaving the back runners to pass....its not a­ dead set that the 2 best teams will be battling for the­ crown. id just like to leave by saying to all u­ hamilton supporters .....ur all glory supporters.....he­ drives a german car and the team is name after Bruce­ McClaren who was not even british.....so where was the­ support for button and coulthard???????

    From laurajones586, on Sat 10 Jan 7:24PM

  12. how can u say alonso was backed when he was at mclaren­ as number 1 driver? he simply wasnt and u know thats­ the truth too

    From pond.simba, on Sat 10 Jan 2:16PM

  13. listen please ,all the drivers are good i just favour­ lewis but its all in a package from the man that makes­ the tea to the man in the car. good car and good pit­ crew ,driver thats the combnation nothing else o and a­ lot of luck ie rain wind slower drivers stop all this­ cheap talk do it on the track

    From big toby, on Sat 10 Jan 1:48PM

  14. DOUBLE WORLD CHAMP ALONSO ONLY NEEDS A SUITABLE CAR TO­ TRIUMPH AGAIN

    CAR HAS NO NEED TO BE BETTER THAN OTHERS­ AS HIS SUBLIME SKILL ADDS THE HOT TOUCH

    BRAVO SUPER­ ALONSO TO SHOW THE WAY HOME AGAIN

    any more pics of his­ delightful wife Raquel .. please .. ?

    -

    From Lucie D, on Sat 10 Jan 8:08AM

  15. fence 193
    WE HAVE MORE SENSE THAN TO ASK YOU .. ­ !

    YOUR IGNORANCE IS ALREADY FULLY DISPLAYED

    From Lucie D, on Sat 10 Jan 7:59AM

  16. There were two stand-out races in 2007 where F Alonso­ was quicker than L Hamilton, Monza and Spa. I put this­ down to car-setup, and experience (probably find the­ two go hand in hand). Interestingly, Maclaren won at­ Monza (Alonso), and Ferrari won at Spa (Raikkonen).­ Also interestingly, F Alonso ran differerent brakes­ (manufacturer) to L Hamilton in 2007, in his­ experience, they were better. It's that experience­ again.

    From , on Fri 9 Jan 10:41PM

  17. 184 bernard...your a @#$%

    From fencer229009, on Fri 9 Jan 9:49PM

  18. so to sum up alonso can only beat hamilton in a better­ car....could not do it when they were team­ mates...talking total @#$% if u ask me

    From fencer229009, on Fri 9 Jan 9:47PM

  19. zehst
    U can add Kubica and Roseberg to ur list

    From mauricechlela, on Fri 9 Jan 1:04PM

  20. Massa is not a great driver he has a great team that is­ all. Great drivers arent just about starting on pole­ and finishing 1st. There are only 3 really good drivers­ atm Lewis, Alonso, Vettel. Lewis is undoubtedly the­ most aggressive driver and will always push to overtake­ which is why he always burns down his tyres the­ quickest, Alonso is class obviously having one twice at­ Renault, and Vettel will become a new star (youngest­ person to win a GP and also wasnt even in a decent­ car). Massa is not even on par with the BMW drivers­ IMO.

    From zehst, on Fri 9 Jan 12:18PM
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