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Not Hamilton or Verstappen! Former F1 Champion Believes This Driver Is ‘Best’ on the Grid

Published 07/22/2021, 5:08 AM EDT

The Formula One grid is filled with talented drivers, but most people only choose Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton when the question of the best driver on the current grid comes up. Rarely do other championship-winning drivers get their chance. But looks like their time is finally here!

For Emerson Fittipaldi, Alpine’s Fernando Alonso stands out. stating that being out of the sport for two years; the Spanish driver still has what takes to be behind the wheel.

Fittipaldi believes that despite being out of the sport for two years, Alonso still has what it takes to be a competitive F1 driver.

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The former F1 driver is right about the 2-times world champion, as Alonso has been able to beat his teammate, Esteban Ocon. The Spaniard finds himself in eleventh place in the driver’s standings with 26 points, while Ocon is down in thirteenth with just 14 points.

Former world champion thinks that Alonso is better than the likes of Leclerc

When news broke that 39-year-old was returning to the grid for the 2021 season, many thought he would struggle and fail to make an impact. However, it was quite the opposite, as Fernando has played a vital role in the Enstone-based team scoring points.

Fittipaldi said, “I think he’s still the best. He proved it by returning to being very competitive after two years of absence. He demonstrated his ability to adapt to a different team again. He struggled a bit in the first few races, but now he is getting stronger.

“He is clearly one of the greatest talents in the history of sport, even though he has won ‘only’ two world championships. It will help Alpine develop the car, for sure,” he concluded.

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Can Fernando Alonso find himself competing next year?

The future of Alonso in F1 has uncertainty looming over it. However, the CEO of Alpine, Laurent Rossi has stated that his veteran driver is doing everything he can to secure the seat for next season.

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He said, “He is doing great.He is as fast as ever. He is certainly extracting the most out of the car.”

When asked if Alonso would drive alongside Ocon next year. Rossi replied, “He is doing everything for me to consider exercising this [contractual] option.”

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With the two-times world champion, having better results than his French teammate, Alpine will look to keep Alonso for next year, as he will play a vital role in bringing success to the French team.

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Written by:

Arpit Gomes is an F1 author at EssentiallySports. Currently pursuing his Journalism degree from Xavier’s Institute, he is a big fan of McLaren and their driver Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo. Arpit always looks forward to the paddock moving to Spa and drivers dealing with the exciting Eau Rouge corner as well the straight at Monza.

Not Hamilton or Verstappen! Former F1 Champion Believes This Driver Is ‘Best’ on the Grid

Former world champion thinks that Alonso is better than the likes of Leclerc

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Can Fernando Alonso find himself competing next year?