Is Fernando Alonso the last of a dying breed?
Over the decades in F1 there have been a lot of drivers who could take an awful car and drive it beyond its abilities. The latest evidence is that of Fernando Alonso at Scuderia Ferrari during the 5 years that he was there but more so in 2014 than any other year. Everyone knows how bad the SF14 T was in the debut year of the hybrid turbo era, but he drove that car probably better than anyone on earth could, which only goes to prove that Fernando Alonso is the best driver in F1 at the minute for driving ability.
Taken nothing away from drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel etc but they've always driven in the best cars on the circuit so I can't include them in the same list as Fernando (that is of course until they drive in a bad car). A list that includes drivers like Niki Lauda, James Hunt, Jim Clarke, Graham Hill etc, drivers with exceptional abilities to make average to bad cars good.
F1 drivers these days aren't always hired based on their ability, with the lower end teams opting for sponsorship's instead of driver quality, the example i'll use here is Kamui Kobayashi, a good driver for years, noted for his overtaking and passing abilities from 2009-2012 with Toyota and Sauber, he got replaced by a driver that provided the team with extra funds through sponsorship (although Kobayashi did raise £5+ million but didn't get the seat). The days of driver quality over driver money are gone and in my eyes that's sad sad news for a sport that needs exceptional drivers to keep things interesting and exciting, especially in the era of a Mercedes dominated season(s).
Fernando Alonso the last of a dying breed?
posted on 24/3/15
Erm... disagree with the sentiment in the post
Fernando is top class and there is an absolutely solid case to say he is the best driver on the grid. but it is by no means cast iron.
Couple of Facts - Fernando was beaten by Rookie Hamilton
Fernando has always bullied team mates and been a recognised number 1
He seems to have been a constant source of disruption in teams
As i said, his driving ability cannot be disregarded, he is fantastic. I just think he is majorly flawed - but so is his main contemporary
posted on 24/3/15
Did you see the Maclaren 2009 car driven by Hamilton?
It was 2 secs off the pace yet Lewis won 2 races in that season.
Also, Lewis was competing for pole when Jenson struggled to get out of Q3.
So not only Alonso knows how to drive a dog of a car.
posted on 24/3/15
Comment Deleted by Article Creator
posted on 24/3/15
Yeah but Lewis only won them races after a major upgrade was introduced to the car in Germany (where he sustained damage and finished 18th). Lewis Hamilton is an amazing driver, if anyone on the current F1 roster can hold a candle to Fernando its Lewis, but we haven't seen him in a car that's awfully bad and has no upgrades improving its fortune. Also Lewis team mate that year was Heikki Kovalainen so maybe you have your year mixed up
posted on 25/3/15
All of the great F1 drivers had personality flaws and they all paid for their seats.
Name one that didn't.
posted on 25/3/15
I see people have brought up 2009 already. Lewis won races in 2010, 2011, 2013 with a car not the best on the grid.
Alonso is a great driver but he is not the only one who can drive around a problem.
There are not many on the grid, probably 4 drivers I think can do it
posted on 26/3/15
http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/f1/9776262/alonso-steering-locked-for-crash
only 2-6 Alonso doesn't remember, he didn't wake up in 95. Heavy steering/lock.
posted on 26/3/15
Shifted from 5th to 3rd before crash. They got new sensors for this race so they can track better the car then when the crash happened
posted on 23/4/15
""Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel etc but they've always driven in the best cars on the circuit ""
I won't even bother to refute the claim that the 2008 Torro Rosso was the best cat on the grid.
2009 McLaren?You are joking, aren't you? 2010 McLaren? You are.... and so on until, 2013 Mercedes? You are joking, aren't you?
At the moment the "best driver in the world" is getting beaten by Button.
There were many "experts" last year trotting out the tired cliche of "Alonso is the best driver on the grid" and rating him best of the season.
He was also the "best driver on the grid" in 2007. The year he got beaten by Hamilton.
By the way, " but he drove that car probably better than anyone on earth could, which only goes to prove that Fernando Alonso is the best driver in F1 at the minute for driving ability. "" You state he PROBABLY drove the car etc,etc, then state that PROVES.. quite simply, a probability cannot prove anything.
posted on 23/4/15
Oh, I've just seen, you don't even know how to spell Jim Clark! (Jim Clark is the greatest driver who ever lived in the opinion of many)
I hope you are the last of a dying breed, but expect there are more waiting in the wings.