Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are two of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, but while Hamilton has gone on to break almost all records in the sport, Alonso has underachieved according to many. Alonso is a two-time world champion, but a huge part of the fanbase feels that he could won as many championships, if not more than Hamilton (7).
Alonso’s choices throughout his long F1 career have been somewhat questionable, and he hasn’t won the title since his incredible back-to-back wins in 2005 and 2006 with Renault. The very next year, he joined McLaren, and was paired with a rookie in Hamilton.
Hamilton developed a heated rivalry with Alonso, which ended in both drivers finishing just a point behind winner Kimi Raikkonen in the world championship. Since then, Hamilton’s career and success has vastly overshadowed Alonso’s.
Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan, however, is adamant that Alonso could have had a much better career than Hamilton.
Eddie Jordan on Fernando Alonso getting 100th podium
At the Saudi Arabian GP last weekend, Alonso created history by getting his 100th podium. Achieving something so monumental at the age of 42 is no small feat, and Jordan spoke about how the Oviedo-born driver’s talent was recognizable, even in his early days.
In an interview with OLBG, Jordan revealed an incident involving Alonso and Michael Schumacher that left him baffled. He recalls Alonso’s incredible overtake on Schumacher during wet conditions in Suzuka, which made him believe that the former was someone special.
Round the outside at Suzuka’s 130R 🤯
Fernando Alonso pulled off this incredible move on Michael Schumacher back in 2005 🤩#JapaneseGP #F1 @alo_oficial pic.twitter.com/qKfz2MuVLo
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 4, 2022
“Alonso pulled the move off and I thought from there that he was destined for greatness,” Schumacher’s former boss said. Jordan went on to say that he even blames Alonso for not winning more than two world championships. According to him, Alonso should have picked his teams much better.
Alonso won’t win a world championship in 2023
Jordan acknowledged that for the first time in many years, Alonso has chosen to drive for a team that suits him. His arrival in Aston Martin was met with some initial doubts but after two P3 finishes in the opening two races, things look fairly optimistic for the ex-Ferrari driver.
“Alonso went for the money when he could have gone a different route,” the 74-year-old continued. “Now he’s come back to the understanding that he has a team around him that has enough to make the car finish well.”
Podium x2🟢🟢. @AstonMartinF1 #f1 #saudi #AstonMartin pic.twitter.com/mWIt3tfzyF
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) March 21, 2023
Unfortunately for Alonso, Red Bull has been far too dominant in 2023. This is why Eddie Jordan feels that Alonso won’t be able to defeat the Milton-Keynes-based outfit and Max Verstappen this time. However, he did add insist that Alonso will win races this season.