When Max Verstappen won his second world championship, Fernando Alonso, as per the reports, said the Dutchman’s titles were more valuable than Lewis Hamilton’s seven titles.
The argument behind this statement was that Hamilton only had to vie against his teammates to win the titles. Whereas, Max Verstappen had tough opposition in 2021 and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc also gave some considerable challenges.
Alonso backtracked from his alleged statement and said the media was trying to create headlines. But the Spaniard got an ally in a three-time world champion.
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Fernando Alonso is right, says Emerson Fittipaldi
Former F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi supports the alleged statement by Alonso that suggests Hamilton had it easier to win the titles than Verstappen, even though it’s not even sure whether Alonso even said it.
“If you think about it, yes, Fernando is correct. The level, the gap among the top five cars in any qualifying this year is very close. Much closer than when Lewis and Nico, or Lewis and Bottas were there. They were quite superior to the field. Now the field is very close. I like it now,” said Fittipaldi.
Fittipaldi also says that, unlike Hamilton, Verstappen is facing several oppositions in the current day F1. Therefore, he thinks overall, Alonso’s comments do stand on merit.
Are these comments even valid?
Fittipaldi’s comments didn’t stand merit when Hamilton’s first title win was highly competitive. In his sophomore year, the Briton battled with Ferrari duo Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen to win the title.
Even in his debut year in F1, he only lost the title by a point. Even if this argument is against his Mercedes era, his battle for the championship against Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in 2017 and 2018 is a counter-argument.
So, it’s unfair to Hamilton, whose achievements are undermined by the sports legends. However, Hamilton didn’t keep his silence this time. He posted a photo with Alonso on a podium where Hamilton defeated him during that race even though Alonso clarified his position.
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