Fernando Alonso’s 200 F1 races in over 100 pictures

F1 Pictures

Posted on

| Written by

Fernando Alonso started his 200th Formula One race in Bahrain last weekend.

Now in his 12th season as an F1 driver, Alonso has amassed 31 grand prix wins and is a two-times world champion.

But while Sebastian Vettel has since exceeded his haul of titles, Alonso is the driver his rivals respect most. His 2012 campaign brought him to the verge of winning a third title despite the disadvantage of a less competitive car.

It was Alonso who broke Michael Schumacher’s five-year stranglehold on the world championship in 2005. The following season he bested Schumacher in a year-long duel to retain his crown.

Although his 2007 season is mostly remembered for the fall-out with McLaren, he also won four races and came within a point of scoring a world championship hat-trick.

He was faced with little option other than return to Renault in 2008. But his victory in that year’s Singapore Grand Prix plunged him into fresh controversy when it emerged 12 months later his team mate Nelson Piquet Jnr and been ordered to crash and bring out the safety car at a useful moment for Alonso.

Throughout a joyless 2009 with Renault, Alonso was repeatedly rumoured to be heading to Ferrari. So it proved at the end of the season, and Alonso won first time out for them the following year.

He seized the initiative in the championship late in the season, but in the finale his and the team’s preoccupation with beating closest rival Mark Webber left them vulnerable to the threat posed by Vettel, who claimed the title in a stunning upset.

Vettel has not relinquished the crown since, despite Alonso’s best efforts last year. As Vettel assembles a run of success to rival Schumacher’s, Alonso looks the likeliest candidate to bring it to an end again.

Here’s a look back on his career so far in pictures.

Early days: Minardi and Renault 2001-2004

Alonso showed promise during his first F1 season for Minardi. In his final start for the team in Suzuka he brought his uncompetitive PS01 chassis home in front of front of better-equipped rivals including Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Prost), Olivier Panis (BAR) and both Arrows drivers.

Following a year as Renault’s test driver in 2002 he was promoted to the race team the following year. In Malaysia he became the youngest driver to start a race from pole position and victory in Hungary made him the youngest grand prix winner – though both records have since fallen to Vettel.

World champion: Renault 2005-2006

In 2005 the Renault R25’s blend of performance and reliability helped Alonso beat Kimi Raikkonen in the fast-but-fragile McLaren MP4-20 to the world championship. Despite that he was sufficiently impressed by his rivals that he agreed a deal with Ron Dennis at the end of 2005 to drive for them after the next season.

The 2006 campaign saw Alonso seal back-to-back titles after a hard-fought battle with Michael Schumacher. It was a highly-charged competition between the two – following a particularly contentious penalty during qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix Alonso memorably declared he ‘no longer considered F1 a sport’.

Troubled times: McLaren and Renault 2007-2009

To say Alonso’s switch to McLaren did not go according to plan would be a massive understatement. The car was competitive but he reckoned without the threat of rookie team mate Lewis Hamilton, who took the championship lead off Alonso in the sixth race and held it until the final round.

The rivalry between the two got out of control in Hungary. Following a row between the pair in qualifying, which led to Alonso blocking Hamilton in the pits and being penalised for it, Alonso threatened to reveal details of the team’s use of confidential Ferrari information to the FIA.

The ruined relationship was severed at the end of the year. Alonso and Hamilton each came within a point of winning the drivers’ title, which went to Raikkonen, and Alonso returned to Renault.

Languishing in an uncompetitive car, Alonso nonetheless scored a brilliant win in Fuji. He had also won in Singapore two weeks previously, though the subsequent revelations about that race changed perceptions of it. Alonso endured 2009 in a hopelessly uncompetitive car which he nonetheless dragged onto the podium at Singapore, this time without any foul play, before making his long-awaited move to Ferrari.

Ferrari: 2010-present

In Ferrari Alonso has found his second home after Renault. But they are yet to cement the partnership with a world championship triumph.

He has come very close, though. After missing the 2007 title by one point Vettel beat him to the 2010 crown by four (under a new points system) and last year there was just three in it. His latest near-miss came after the team began the season with a very uncompetitive car.

Although he has suffered two setbacks in the first four races of this year, Alonso has proved many times in his 200 starts so far that he is never to be discounted.

Mark Webber also reached 200 race starts last weekend – look out for a similar feature on him next week.

F1 pictures

View more F1 pictures

Images © Ferrari spa/Ercole Colombo, Renault/LAT, McLaren/Hoch Zwei, Daimler/Hoch Zwei, Pirelli/LAT, Red Bull/Getty, Boris 1964, Simon Watkinson

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

70 comments on “Fernando Alonso’s 200 F1 races in over 100 pictures”

  1. Love the Valencia 2012 one. <3

    1. I love all of them. Hat´s off to @keithcollantine . Thank you for puting this collection of photos together. It is awesome and it fills my heart full of joy.
      Barcelona 2006 is without a doubt one that gets me a lot along with the Valencia one as well but, to have the king hand you the trophy… it´s just amazing.
      @kingshark

      1. @keithcollantine Do we have a photo similar series coming up for Mark Webber?

  2. I’d hate to see him leave F1 with less than 3 or 4 titles. He’s among the best drivers ever in my opinion and having 2 titles doesn’t quite reflect that, even though that’s a massive archievement as it is.

    1. 31 wins from 200 or 202 races depending how you count. 22 poles in that time.

      He’s at most the third best on the current grid. Beaten by Trulli in 04, couldn’t beat his rookie teammate in 07 despite winning the previous two championships, hasn’t got the job done at Ferrari despite all the resources at the team’s disposal. Had his chance in 2010 but too many mistakes. Korea and Melbourne come straight to mind. Couldn’t pass Petrov in the final race.

      Then you have the close relationship to Briatore and decisions Briatore have made that have been highly beneficial to Alonso. Trulli challenged Alonso in 2004, Alonso cried that the team wasn’t supporting him, “rift” developed between Trulli and Briatore and Trulli was consequently and fired. Threat to Alonso taken care of. Then you have Singapore 08. Seems everyone knew except the man that stood to gain. Throw in the whole issue of blackmailing McLaren because Hamilton was beating him, you have a man of poor character and slightly over-rated in terms of driving ability. Two championships is about what he deserves.

      1. 31 wins from 200 or 202 races depending how you count. 22 poles in that time.

        .
        Consider the fact that Alonso has never had a car which was the outright fastest in the field.

        Had his chance in 2010 but too many mistakes. Korea and Melbourne come straight to mind.

        Melbourne? Korea? What mistakes, exactly? You probably wanted to say Shanghai and Monaco.

        couldn’t beat his rookie teammate in 07 despite winning the previous two championships

        He knew McLaren much less than Lewis did. He had never driven a Bridgestone-shod car before, even Raikkonen struggled initially due to that very aspect. And McLaren favoured Lewis several times.

        hasn’t got the job done at Ferrari despite all the resources at the team’s disposal.

        That is more a reflection on Ferrari than Alonso.

        1. “Consider the fact that Alonso has never had a car which was the outright fastest in the field.”

          2005 he had the fastest car in the first half of season (same in 06). The McLaren was probably the faster car over the course of the whole season and Kimi outdrove Alonso, but McLaren had poor reliability and Kimi had poor luck with things like punctures.

          Don’t forget that Alonso had bespoke French Michelin tyres for the French manufacturer. The Michelin were perfectly suited for the very unique characteristics of the Renault.

          He also had the best car in 07, but he ran away from McLaren because he couldn’t beat his rookie teammate. So not having a good car in 08 and 09 was self-inflicted.

          2010 not much in it, but the Ferrari was strong. Maybe Red Bull and McLaren a tiny bit stronger, but nothing a good driver can’t overcome. Second half of the year the Ferrari was probably stronger if anything, but nothing it it. Almost splitting hairs when the top cars have so much parity now. This isn’t like Schumacher performing miracles in the mid to late 90’s.

          2011 Red Bull the dominant car, last year the Ferrari had solid race pace and bullet proof reliability — which is the only reason Alonso stayed in contention for the championship. Kind of like why Kimi stayed in contention at one point despite being more than halfway through the season and not having won a race. Not only did it have solid race pace, but was incredible off the line even in the hands of Massa. The only reason the Ferrari wasn’t on the front row of the grid is because Alonso is a poor qualifier and always has been.

          “Melbourne? Korea? What mistakes, exactly? You probably wanted to say Shanghai and Monaco.”

          Nah, we’re talking 2010. Did he make more mistakes than Melbourne and Korea??

          Gotta say, he choked and didn’t get it done in 2007, choked in 2010 not passing Petrov, then choked in the final races of 2012. Dismal qualifying in Abu Dhabi especially. He’s better when he’s the underdog. He doesn’t handle expectation.

          “He knew McLaren much less than Lewis did. He had never driven a Bridgestone-shod car before, even Raikkonen struggled initially due to that very aspect. And McLaren favoured Lewis several times.”

          Hamilton was a rookie. Hamilton wasn’t favored. Examples? Alonso claimed Hamilton was, but that’s because he’ll say and do anything to save his skin.

          Alonso was the current double world champion at the time competing against a rookie. He should have been able to come to grips with anything thrown his way quicker than Hamilton.

          “That is more a reflection on Ferrari than Alonso.”
          Ferrari have put all their eggs in the Alonso basket in creating a car suited to his preferences, and yet he hasn’t come any closer to winning a championship than Massa did in 08.

          1. Edit. Spa not Korea.

          2. creating a car suited to his preferences

            I don’t think Alonso asked for a pullrod front suspension..doubt he wanted to go back to the days of 2001.

            yet he hasn’t come any closer to winning a championship than Massa did in 08.

            Ferrari had the fastest car in 2008, in 2012 it was never the quickest.

            Hamilton was a rookie. Hamilton wasn’t favored. Examples? Alonso claimed Hamilton was, but that’s because he’ll say and do anything to save his skin.

            This paragraph of yours doesn’t make much sense. What exactly are you trying to say?

            last year the Ferrari had solid race pace and bullet proof reliability — which is the only reason Alonso stayed in contention for the championship. Kind of like why Kimi stayed in contention at one point despite being more than halfway through the season and not having won a race. Not only did it have solid race pace, but was incredible off the line even in the hands of Massa. The only reason the Ferrari wasn’t on the front row of the grid is because Alonso is a poor qualifier and always has been.

            Alonso is not a poor qualifier. It’s just that in the Pirelli-era, qualifying has lost its meaning. Alonso ikes to focus on race setups that give him the benefit over a full Grand Prix distance, rather than gunning for glory and setting timed laps on fumes and risk running out of fuel on the slowing-down lap. The Ferrari had solid race pace? If so, why was Massa passed by even Force Indias and Toro Rossos at the start of the season? And Massa is generally a good starter..no car is inherently a good starter. Starts depend largely on engine/clutch mapping as well as the driver. An intelligently-though out clutch map can be made by any engineer of any team..but it is not restricted to the car.

            Did he make more mistakes than Melbourne and Korea??

            WHat mistake did he do at Melbourne? He got hemmed in at the start by Button and Schumi, the lap 1 spin really wasn’t his fault.

      2. @anon

        You made me open my eyes to see the real facts.. I wasted so many years supporting Alonso… He has only two WDCs.. He has only won 31 races …He has only come close to winning the WDC twice in last three years… He is wrongly regarded as one of the best drivers of his generation… and there was conspiracy by the team bosses to name him as the driver of the year in 2012…. All of his 22nd pole positions have come in cars that were 25 secs faster than anything else because he is a poor qualifier… In 2007 he could only equal hamilton wheras even Karthikeyan would have done better…

        1. I didn’t say he’s a bad driver. He’s third best on the grid at best. That’s quite an achievement. He’s not in the class of Vettel and Hamilton.

          1. Because Lewis has achieved so much more?

          2. 2010: Hamilton has a faster car, Alonso destroys him in the standings.
            2011: Hamilton has a faster car, Alonso destroys him in the standings.
            2012: Hamilton has a faster car, Alonso destroys him in the standings.
            2013: Alonso in a faster car, Alonso guaranteed to destroy Hamilton in the standings once again.

      3. One of the greatest theory i have ever read in the world of motor sport , grate analysis but i’m just wondering if you didn’t ask yourself why everybody in this sports including fans,drivers,team principles journalists,ex WDC …. would disagree with your theory about Alonso,this is rare to happen someone is correct and all the others are wrong
        This happened with Albert Einstein when he was young nobody could understand what he is telling and he was very confident that all the previous physics laws are wrong and his theory is correct
        Maybe it is happening again !!!!!!!!

    2. Well, he chose Ferrari over titles, as he said himself (“… rather 2nd with Ferrari than …”).
      So let him have his way.

      1. He went to McLaren and burned that bridge. Went back to Renault and it was a disaster without his bespoke Michelins. Ferrari was the only top drive to go to at the time.

        Failed in replicating what Schumacher achieved. Actually failed in replicating what Kimi achieved. No, wait, he’s failed in replicating what Massa achieved in 08.

        LOL

        1. @anon

          Even if you say he is a bad driver does nt really matter to fans like me who have followed his career.. We know how good he is.. and there really is no point in arguing with you… You are entitled to your opinion and so are we…

        2. ha ha ha … donno what convince you to say massa achieved more than alonso i ? in 3 years in ferrari alonso was in WDC contention 2 times, kimi 1 time while he succeeded , he managed to get fired at the end of 3rd year. And don’t forget schumi won wdc with ferrari in his 5th year.

          btw you lost the discussion when you put vettel first … with that redbull alonso would destroy vettel in same car.

          1. Schumacher left a team where he had just won two consecutive titles to go to a basket case that hadn’t won a drivers title in 17 years. He had to rebuild them from the ashes, yet was already competing for the championship from 1997 onwards.

            Alonso went to Ferrari because he thought he was going to the best team with the best resources. 2009 was an anomaly for Ferrari and McLaren because of the double diffuser, but Ferrari were already strong by the end of 2009 and finished 1-2 for the first race of 2010.

  3. I see a really good candidate for the Caption Competition! Hint: it involves a lot of water.

      1. Creepy, isn’t it?

        1. What is the story behind it? Jaws 2004: Return of the Flavio

  4. He seized the initiative in the championship late in the season, but in the finale his and the team’s preoccupation with beating points leader Mark Webber left them vulnerable to the threat posed by Vettel, who claimed the title in a stunning upset.

    That’s not correct. Alonso was the points leader at the start of the Abu Dhabi GP – he had a twelve point lead over Webber. His poor showing that day had nothing to do with Webber – Alonso simply had a bad race.

    1. Make that an eight point lead over Webber.

    2. @jonsan I did not say Alonso wasn’t the points leader.

      And they absolutely were preoccupied with Webber, as his radio communication and strategy during the race makes clear:

      Alonso’s role in Ferrari strategy revealed in pit messages
      How Alonso lost the championship in Abu Dhabi

      1. I did not say Alonso wasn’t the points leader.

        What does the phrase ” points leader Mark Webber” mean then?

        1. @jonsan It means I made a stupid typo and didn’t have the sense to check it before insisting otherwise! Sorry :-(

          I stand by the other thing though.

          1. No problem.

            As far as the other thing goes, I think the (tremendously useful) data you present on this site contradicts your conclusion.

          2. @jonsan I have nothing to add to what I wrote two-and-a-half years ago, which was debated to death at the time, which completely backs up what I wrote in this article.

    3. @jonsan

      His poor showing that day had nothing to do with Webber – Alonso simply had a bad race.

      That’s not true. It wasn’t just a bad race, it was a strategy error, they tried to cover him over Webber, without realizing that Vettel was winning the GP and that they’d end up stuck behind drivers that had already pitted.

      It had a lot to do with Webber…

      1. No, it wasn’t a strategy error. Alonso was simply not fast enough on the day. Or good enough at tyre management, to say the same thing slightly differently.

        People keep acting as if, if Alonso had only stayed on the soft tyres for an extra three of four laps, he’d have won the WDC. And it’s simply not true – even before he boxed for the hard tyres he was running at the same speed – or even a little less – than Petrov. THAT was his problem, and it’s not solvable by pitting later.

        You can see the lap times for Alonso and Petrov here and by laps 14 and 15 Petrov is running faster than Alonso.

        https://www.racefans.net/2010/11/14/how-alonso-lost-the-championship-in-abu-dhabi/

        Let me repeat that for emphasis – by laps 14 and 15 Petrov is running faster than Alonso. That’s why Alonso made a pit stop the next lap.

        The ONLY different strategy which might have seen Alonso take the WDC at Abu Dhabi was if he had pitted under the safety car. Staying out for another few laps on the softs would not have done it.

        1. @jonsan

          1. The soft tyres came back to life after initial graining.
          2. Alonso was lapping similar times to Button before his pit stop.
          3. Had Ferrari kept him out and been patient with the tyres, he would’ve finished 4th.

          Alonso, Massa and Webber all finched after the initial tyre degredation. What they did not know, was that by staying out longer, the soft tyres would come back to them.

          Vettel, Hamilton and Button did stay out on the soft tyres. This paid them back later, as they went on to take the top 3 spots on the podium at the end of that race.

          https://www.racefans.net/2010/11/14/how-alonso-lost-the-championship-in-abu-dhabi/
          On lap 13 and 14, Button and Alonso were lapping virtually identical times.

          Had Alonso stayed out and followed Button, he would’ve finished 4th. Therefore, yes, strategy cost Alonso the WDC that race.

          Plain and simple.

          Alonso was simply not fast enough on the day. Or good enough at tyre management, to say the same thing slightly differently.

          Yet you completely ignore the fact that Ferrari were slower than Red Bull and McLaren on that day, by about 4 tenths/lap. That Alonso out-qualified Button and Webber on Saturday itself was an achievement.

          1. The soft tyres came back to life after initial graining.

            Saying it doesn’t make it so. There’s scant evidence of tyres “coming back to life” in this race and zero evidence that Webbers or Alonos’s tyres would have done so. In the very unlikely case that their tyres would have “come back to life”, you can’t call the failure to predict this happening a “bad strategy call”.

            Alonso was lapping similar times to Button before his pit stop

            No, he did not. Alonso did lap15 in 108.009 seconds, Button in 106.237 seconds.

            Had Ferrari kept him out and been patient with the tyres, he would’ve finished 4th

            There exists not one iota of data to support that contention, which perhaps explains why you offer none.

            you completely ignore the fact that Ferrari were slower than Red Bull and McLaren on that day

            That’s a very odd thing to say, since my entire point is that Alonso finished seventh because he was not fast enough that day.

          2. The tyres were coming back. It happened to all the drivers that stayed out. so im not sure what there is to debate. They were not pirellis.

            They got it wrong. As soon as they pitted i said to friends what about Kubica and Rosberg…even forgetting Petrov.

            It was a strategy error in hindsight. You can argue they werent quick enough, of course if he was a second a lap faster he would of been fine.

            The points lost earlier in the season were what lost them the title. Errors by both alonso and the team.

          3. The tyres were coming back. It happened to all the drivers that stayed out. so im not sure what there is to debate.

            That is factually untrue. You can’t point to a single driver in the race whose tyres “came back” to the tune of more than two seconds a lap, which is what Alonso’s (and Webbers) would have to have done.

            They got it wrong. As soon as they pitted i said to friends what about Kubica and Rosberg…even forgetting Petrov.

            Alonso would not have been able to get ahead of those drivers by staying out. The theory that his tyres would have “come back to life” to the tune of more than two seconds a lap (which is what they would have needed to do) does not have a shred of evidence to support it – which is why nobody ever cites any actual numbers to try to back this theory.

    4. Couldn’t pass pay driver Petrov in a slower Renault.

      1. And neither could Hamilton on Kubica. Hamilton was in a faster car than the Ferrari, and the Renault was on tyres 20 laps older than Hamilton’s.

        1. No the Ferrari was probably the strongest car in the last half of 2010.

          1. At the Abu Dhabi GP, Ferrari were weaker than McLaren.

          2. Anon i decline to agree. The Red bull was clearly the class of the field.

          3. It was all very similar between Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren. Class of the field? Where do you get this stuff from? Alonso won 4/7 races late in the season, Ferrari had two 1-2 finishes. People remember the last race of 2010 and think Red Bull was the fastest car. LOL.

          4. @anon

            Did you really watch 2010 season or just read about it somewhere?
            Alonso won 3 out of the last 7 races …Italy, Singapore and Korea…
            In Italy and Singapore it was pretty close with Mclaren(Button) and RB(vettel) respectively… and We all saw the fastest car in Korea was Redbull and both cars retired while in the lead( Webber crashed and Vettel’s engine failed)… The only race I can remember where Ferrari were clearly the fastest in 2010 was Germany … Red bull were the fastest car in 2010 but not the most reliable .. they won 9 races where as Ferrari and Mclaren won 5 each… Redbull could’ve won a few more races if it was nt for their reliability .. Australia, Bahrain and Korea comes to my mind… and Turkey too …where the Redbull pair made contact with each other and Hamilton ended up winning the race..

  5. Great collection! goosebumps!

  6. He deserve to win his third title as Hamilton deserve to win 2 or 3 other championship title.

    I don’t know right now, how many drivers deserve more title or victory than record book shows us.

    1. Vettel deserves less. 3 titles less, to be precise.

  7. Beautiful pictures, for a beautiful career!

  8. His latest near-miss came after the team began the season with a very uncompetitive car.

    But a car that was incredibly reliable. And the deficit only lasted three races. Since Barcelona it was often one of the fastest cars on Sunday.

    1. And in the second of those first three races, it worked pretty well in the race because of the rain.

  9. Imola 2005 and 2006 was epic.

    Thank you @keithcollantine

    1. DRS would of ruined both

  10. Great Galery!! Thanks!

  11. Ben (@scuderia29)
    25th April 2013, 0:34

    my favourite driver on the grid, a great article thanks =) would be a huge shame if he doesnt win more titles, he’s come agonisingly close to adding another title to his tally on 3 occasions now, surely its his time this year.

  12. I remember when i was first watching F1 as a 10 year old and seeing that blue and yellow Renault(05-06) go round, still my favourite livery. At that age I didn’t care about the racing that much, I just liked to watch the cars driving fast.

  13. Two titles in the best car at the time. Not much since except getting his team-mate to crash on purpose, and threatening his own team with spying information when it did’t go his way.

    1. @sebsfinger

      Two titles in the best car at the time

      You mean to say Renault was the fastest in 2005 and 2006?
      MP4/20 was clearlythe fastest car in 2005, and the 248F1 was also the fastest in 2006.

      1. Kimi had terrible luck with reliability and things like punctures. He outdrove Alonso.

        2006 was fairly even. Renault clearly the best car in the first half of the season then the edge went to Ferrari.

        Alonso went to Ferrari because Kimi wouldn’t/couldn’t work with the engineers. So far he hasn’t achieved more than Massa did in 08. Alonso would be a 0 time world champion if it wasn’t for Michelin.

        1. Going by your logic Alonso would ‘ve won only 16 races if it was nt for Michelin.. Ohh wait .. he would’ve won only 5 if it was nt for Bridgestone and Michelin and no races if it was nt for Pierelli, brdgestone and Michelin… :P

          1. Don’t know what you’re talking about. Explain. Is English not your first language?

          2. I think it is pretty clear what I meant there…. It was a reply to your comment that Alonso’s two titles are only because of Michelin…He has won 15 races with Michelin Tyres.. 11 races with Bridgestone and 5 with Pirelli… and He came pretty close to winning the title 2 times with Bridgestone and once with Pirelli.. So your comment I have to say does nt make any sense…

            Don’t know what you’re talking about. Explain. Is English not your first language?

            I am not sure if this was meant to be an insult, but I would give you the benefit of doubt by considering you genuinely meant that.. Yes English is not my first language …

          3. “I think it is pretty clear what I meant there…. It was a reply to your comment that Alonso’s two titles are only because of Michelin…He has won 15 races with Michelin Tyres.. 11 races with Bridgestone and 5 with Pirelli… and He came pretty close to winning the title 2 times with Bridgestone and once with Pirelli.. So your comment I have to say does nt make any sense…”

            LOL. All his Bridgestone and Pirelli wins are with a control tyre. All his Michelin wins are from when Michelin had not only the best tyre on the grid, but they were making tyres specifically suited to the Renault’s characteristics.

    2. I don’t know why Vettel’s fans+Vettel himself+Helmut Marko are terrified by Alonso, the man is human and he didn’t have special capabilities like superman or batman or spiderman….
      In every article or statement (even if it didn’t has any relation to racing) related to Alonso i see them losing their tempers and trying to attack the man with everything they have
      Please cool down !!!!!
      Oh i just forgot ,maybe the Samurai is the reason …….

      1. Don’t be so naive. The reason is simple really: Vettel beats Alonso every year and every year everyone says Alonso is better. So those three people/fans you mention aren’t always happy about that.

        Vettel IS better at qualifying in any case. If they were both at Ferrari right now Vettel would out qualify him every race imho. In the race it’d be fairly evenly matched, but Alonso would hardly dominate Vettel in the same team. My guess is it might go Alonso’s way or might go Vettel’s way. But Vettel I’m sure would beat him to Pole every time.

        Hamilton of course is better than both of them and Kimi will beat Alonso this year is my prediction.

        1. If they were both at Ferrari right now Vettel would out qualify him every race imho

          He was beaten 9 times in qualifying last year by Mark Webber, i don’t know how he will outqualify Alonso in every race like you suggest , i don’t know if it is short or selective memory

  14. Excellent article and photos! Whether you think he’s a hero or a villain, he’s great for the sport.
    The Interlagos 2005 photo shows what it must feel like to be the WDC.
    I wanted to see the photo from Italy 2012 where he picked up the TV camera during the post-race interviews on the podium. A fun moment.

    1. Italy 2012

  15. Best overall driver according to everybody.

Comments are closed.