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

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.

Comment deleted by Article Creator

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

All of the great F1 drivers had personality flaws and they all paid for their seats.

Name one that didn't.

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

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.

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

""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.

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.