While the motorsport world digests the news that after 17-years Fernando Alonso will not be a Formula 1 driver beyond the end of this season, but while the plaudits are being sung by the media, former F1 World Champion Jody Scheckter has bucked the trend by saying that the Spaniard’s achievements are overrated.
Speaking to BBC in the wake of the announcement by McLaren, 1979 F1 World Champion, Jody Scheckter said of Alonso, “I like to just think how many championships somebody’s won. You can rate people that they had bad luck and bad cars. I think people overrate him.”
“One of his problems is he seems to upset teams and everybody around him. That’s not the way to win World Championships. You’ve got to work with your team and you’re nearly a leader.”
Scheckter is of the school of thought that Alonso can “split a team in half” and suggested that the Spaniard has a tendency to be sanctimonious with a “why me?” attitude which creates tension within teams.
Inevitably comparisons are being made between Alonso and the man he dethroned as the sport’s biggest star: Michael Schumacher.
Felipe Massa a teammate to both believes that Alonso was on Schumacher‘s level while veteran engineer Pat Symonds who was in their respective corners when they won titles with Benetton (later Renault) also believes their driving talents were at the same level, just that Schumacher was a people person and Alonso not.
Asked if Alonso was at Schumacher’s level, Scheckter replied, “For me, absolutely not. Schumacher has got to be rated as the best driver ever. Alonso, I don’t think he’s in that category. Not to say he’s not a good driver. He is one of the top drivers there now.”
Speaking to BBC in the wake of the announcement by McLaren, 1979 F1 World Champion, Jody Scheckter said of Alonso, “I like to just think how many championships somebody’s won. You can rate people that they had bad luck and bad cars. I think people overrate him.”
“One of his problems is he seems to upset teams and everybody around him. That’s not the way to win World Championships. You’ve got to work with your team and you’re nearly a leader.”
Scheckter is of the school of thought that Alonso can “split a team in half” and suggested that the Spaniard has a tendency to be sanctimonious with a “why me?” attitude which creates tension within teams.
Inevitably comparisons are being made between Alonso and the man he dethroned as the sport’s biggest star: Michael Schumacher.
Felipe Massa a teammate to both believes that Alonso was on Schumacher‘s level while veteran engineer Pat Symonds who was in their respective corners when they won titles with Benetton (later Renault) also believes their driving talents were at the same level, just that Schumacher was a people person and Alonso not.
Asked if Alonso was at Schumacher’s level, Scheckter replied, “For me, absolutely not. Schumacher has got to be rated as the best driver ever. Alonso, I don’t think he’s in that category. Not to say he’s not a good driver. He is one of the top drivers there now.”
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