[Driver] Alonso or Vettel. The drivers have their say.

[321Go]

Asked who is really the better driver after the season finale, the replies from the rest of the F1 drivers below.


Mark Webber: "They are both great drivers, but I can only say that I was really happy to be fighting against Fernando in my last race."

Felipe Massa:"For me, they are both great. Vettel is the champion. Fernando is considered the best. You want me to say one? I won't do that."

Lewis Hamilton: "I think that in that Red Bull, Alonso would win even more easily than Vettel does."

Nico Rosberg: "I don't know if Alonso is the best, but he's one of the best, no doubt. Better than Seb? Maybe."

Sergio Perez: "Although this year has been all about Vettel, it is clear to me that Alonso is the best."

Esteban Gutierrez: "Alonso, yes, Alonso. He is still the best."

Jenson Button:"I couldn't say. If I was a team boss ... when I am a team boss, I will show you who I would sign."

Pastor Maldonado: "I think Vettel is very good, for sure, but if I was a team I would have Alonso, of course, without a doubt. Fernando is a genius."

Valtteri Bottas: "Um ... that's a difficult question. I think I would have them both!"

Giedo van der Garde: "Both."

Heikki Kovalainen: "Alonso."

Max Chilton: "Both."

Romain Grosjean: "That is a very difficult question and I couldn't honestly answer it."

Nico Hulkenberg: "Impossible to say, impossible to know."

Adrian Sutil: "All I can say is that they are both very good, but I wouldn't like to say one or the other."

Paul di Resta: "It's hard to say, Vettel is the champion but Fernando ... what can you say about Alonso that hasn't already been said?"

Charles Pic: "I have Spanish and German friends, so I don't want to hurt anyone."

Jean-Eric Vergne: "I think I will surprise you, but I will say Vettel."

Daniel Ricciardo: "I admire Fernando, but I'll take Seb!"

Jules Bianchi: "I stick with Alonso, but I can't say anything else, as I work with Ferrari."

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1...onso-question/

[wnut]

I think Hulkenberg's answer is probably the most accurate!

The rest are mainly split along tribal lines; language, engine, sponsor, envy; so who knows!

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by wnut

I think Hulkenberg's answer is probably the most accurate!

The rest are mainly split along tribal lines; language, engine, sponsor, envy; so who knows!

+1

[henners88]

I don't think it is any surprise to see Alonso getting the most mentions among the drivers. It's a sentiment that gets mentioned so much among fans worldwide that I think there is truth in the observation. I think Alonso is the best driver in Formula One and I'm a Hamilton fan first and foremost.

What Alonso has done in his Ferrari over the past 4 seasons is incredible IMO. There is a reason why he's a double World Champion.

[Paradise City]

What a bunch of disgusting wimps.

".... You want me to say one? I won't do that......"

"....Maybe....."

"....I couldn't say....."

"....that's a difficult question. I think I would have them both....."

"....Both....."

"....Both....."

"....That is a very difficult question and I couldn't honestly answer it....."

"....Impossible to say, impossible to know....."

"..."All I can say is that they are both very good, but I wouldn't like to say one or the other..."

"....I have Spanish and German friends, so I don't want to hurt anyone...."

Pathetic.

Congratulations to the drivers who actually answered the question with an answer instead of the woolly fluff quoted above. Of course those who answered Vettel sharing a team with him get exactly nil pois as do drivers who rely on Ferrari and answered Alonso. They get a flat zero as well.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

What a bunch of disgusting wimps.

They do right. Imagine the number of driver x slams Alonso, or driver x questions Vettel's ability articles because of this. It'd keep Autosport going for weeks. Pointless question. Pointless answers. It doesn't deserve anything else and the drivers don't need to have to spend the next few weeks justifying their answer to this question. The press, and us, are getting what we deserve. We couldn't cope with the real answers anyway.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by wnut

I think Hulkenberg's answer is probably the most accurate!

The rest are mainly split along tribal lines; language, engine, sponsor, envy; so who knows!

Agreed.

It's all personal opinion. Ant Davidson reckons that Seb would beat both Alonso and Hamilton in a Red Bull. Weather he'd beat Alonso currently in a Ferrari who knows, but at times Felipe wasn't far off Fernando and Seb is infinitely better than Felipe so why not ?

Same with Lewis in the Merc. Seb is better than Rosberg yet he had the upper hand over Lewis more often than not.

I think a lot of it, when it comes to Vettel, is jealousy. No one wants to admit to how good he is, can only win because he's in a Red Bull. Rubbish. No one wins 13 times in one season when their team mate can't even win once. You only have to look at his first outing in the BMW, with a points scoring position, or his time in the STR to see how good he is.

[Beryl]

Originally Posted by wnut

I think Hulkenberg's answer is probably the most accurate!

The rest are mainly split along tribal lines; language, engine, sponsor, envy; so who knows!

Agreed. There's no way to know and Hulk knows picking would only be guessing. Vettel and Alonso not only have never been teammates, they've never even had a common teammate. The closest link between them is a Rosberg, who has been teamed with both Vettel's teammate Webber (as a rookie) and with Alonso's teammate Hamilton, separated by 6 years. Without having any idea how they compare in terms of raw pace (the most important aspect to being a race car driver), there's no way to know who is better overall.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by Beryl

Agreed. There's no way to know and Hulk knows picking would only be guessing.

Yeah but this isn't serious guys, it's just a bit of fun. There are no implications in mentioning one driver over the other or throwing out a name.

[Aysedasi]

As you say, it's all personal opinion. Just like your's is........

Right now, I'd have to say Vettel. (There, that surprised you, didn't it..... ). It would be wonderful though to see them competing in the same team or in obviously (near-)equal machinery....

[Greem]

Alonso can certainly drag a dog of a car further up than it should be, and for that he has my begrudging respect. I'm not sure Vettel could but that's only because I haven't seen him have to.

[jedrinck]

Originally Posted by Greem

Alonso can certainly drag a dog of a car further up than it should be, and for that he has my begrudging respect. I'm not sure Vettel could but that's only because I haven't seen him have to.

Not so sure about either of them ever driving a "dog", but whenever the RB wasn't the fastest car of the day Vettel would get all the points out of it that were possible. Like during the beginning of the 2012 season. I wonder why people forget that so quickly.

[Zico]

Does nearly everyone on here truely believe that Vettel the new F1 messiah? That 4th title seems to have changed a lot of viewpoints.
He has done well no question, great job, but for me his success is mostly due to being with the right team at the right time, I have no doubt that 4-5 other top drivers would have the achieved the exact same in Sebs seat.

Alonso would be my first investment as team manager I think... with maybe Hulk as my number 2.

[MarkG]

The Vettel fans will no doubt come on here and say different, which is fair enough, but seems quite clear Alonso is considered the better driver. The only drivers to state Vettel were Torro Rosso drivers

[chillibowl]

probably not a lot separating any in the top group but if i had to pick one driver for my team going forward it has to be the younger Vettel.

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by Zico

but for me his success is mostly due to being with the right team at the right time...

I'm no fan of Vettel or anyone else, but tell me, which driver was champion not being with the right team at the right time ?

[MarkG]

Originally Posted by Bononi

I'm no fan of Vettel or anyone else, but tell me, which driver was champion not being with the right team at the right time ?

Probably none of them, but champion doesn't mean best driver necessarily, very good yes, and better than a team mate probably, but not always the best. Was Button the best driver of 2009?

[Paradise City]

Alonso has dragged an inferior car to places where it shouldn't. With Vettel, it's unclear how much is attributable to Vettel and how much is attributable to Newey. Despite the dizzy heights he has ascended to, I don't think people are certain what we have got with Vettel - aside from the fact he is within the top strata of active F1 talent.

I think that's the primary issue. I think a secondary issue is that Latin F1 drivers carry a certain magnetic appeal that makes Alonso easy to forgive and to like.

[Salamus]

Originally Posted by Bononi

I'm no fan of Vettel or anyone else, but tell me, which driver was champion not being with the right team at the right time ?

Kimi 07?

Originally Posted by 321Go

Lewis Hamilton: "I think that in that Red Bull, Alonso would win even more easily than Vettel does."

Looks like Hamilton is not convinced of Vettel's dominance.


It would have been funny to hear Kimi's response.

[m355y]

I think Alonso's ever so slightly overrated now. He's brilliant sure, one of the best drivers of his era and has left as big a mark as a driver possibly can without breaking all the records in the book. I think long term he might even be considered alongside Senna and co as one of F1's absolute goliath superstars. He's endured as one of the yearly protagonists from his years at Renault fighting Schumacher, to ten years later fighting Vettel in a Ferrari. The thought of Ferrari taking the title again is starting to build the same romantic feeling as it did in the late nineties and he's come so close.

But I don't think, over a single lap, he's as fast as Vettel. Or Hamilton. I don't think he quite had the searing pace of a 2005 spec Kimi, or even a 2006 spec Schumi. He tends to get beaten by his team mates quite a lot more regularly on Saturdays than them, and was almost outqualified over this season by Massa. Trulli often had an edge over him at Renault. Fisichella was unimpressive against him, but a lot closer on pace than the points totals showed. Alonso is. Great, great racer, a relentless competitor on a Sunday and he hauls his car to almost impossible heights, but so has Vettel.

I think Vettel has the edge, and I far prefer Fernando. Vettel has the whole package, he's relentlessly quick over a race but also incredibly fast over a single lap. The results over the last four seasons speak for themselves. Fernando is the romantic choice, but Vettel is the logical one now. Boring or not, Vettel makes it look so easy and his incredible performance in Singapore matched anything Alonso has managed.

[Bononi]

Ha, what difference does it make ?

Personal and subjective matters get in the way... the truth is, quoting a former driver, after the first, there are only losers.

[321Go]

Isn't Vettel a better driver than Webber?

So let's put it this way. If Sebastian Vettel wasn't at Red Bull, Mark Webber would be a four time World Drivers Champion.

Thank you, and good night.

[jedrinck]

Originally Posted by 321Go

Isn't Vettel a better driver than Webber?

So let's put it this way. If Sebastian Vettel wasn't at Red Bull, Mark Webber would be a four time World Drivers Champion.

Thank you, and good night.

Except for the fact that Webber never finished 2nd in the WDC despite the car that could take anybody to a WDC.
It occurred to me that all the "latin" drivers voted for Alonso. I also think that especially for a guy like Hamilton it is near impossible to admit that Vettel is any good, it's just like Alonso keeps saying Hamilton is his greatest rival. Hamilton didn't really have a better season than Rosberg and Alonso was frequently out qualified by Massa although he did much better in the races. Yet when Vettel destroys a quality driver like Webber in qualifying and races people are quick to say it's impossible to say how good he is because Newey designed the car.

My personal opinion is that Vettel is NOW as good at extracting the best finishing position possible out of a car as Alonso, making just as few errors. Along with being the best qualifier around that would make him my choice if I was an F1 team boss.

[Zico]

Originally Posted by Bononi

I'm no fan of Vettel or anyone else, but tell me, which driver was champion not being with the right team at the right time ?

Sure, absolutely..

Some on here choose to use Mark and his failure to finish second in the WDC as the yardstick. Mark is unquestionably a 'good' driver but is not in my top ten. Not to mention Marks shocking amount of KERS and reliability issues compared to Seb, of which I'd love to see some stats and possible explanations... thread worthy in itself.

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Alonso has dragged an inferior car to places where it shouldn't. With Vettel, it's unclear how much is attributable to Vettel and how much is attributable to Newey. Despite the dizzy heights he has ascended to, I don't think people are certain what we have got with Vettel - aside from the fact he is within the top strata of active F1 talent.

I'd love to see him a team mate to Alonso, Hamilton or Kimi and if he blitzed them I'd be more than happy to hail him as the new Senna. We all know that is extremely unlikely to happen but it will still be very interesting to see how he copes if/when he or Newey ever move on to another team.

Bernie can we have a one make engine/chassis season every 4-5 years please?

Originally Posted by Paradise City

I think that's the primary issue. I think a secondary issue is that Latin F1 drivers carry a certain magnetic appeal that makes Alonso easy to forgive and to like.

Personality really doesn't come into it for me. I'm a fan but don't see myself as a 'fanboy', I try to be objective. If team mates again I suspect Lewis would probably beat him in the qualy stakes but Alonso is just the more complete package come raceday.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by Zico

I'd love to see him a team mate to Alonso, Hamilton or Kimi and if he blitzed them I'd be more than happy to hail him as the new Senna. We all know that is extremely unlikely to happen but it will still be very interesting to see how he copes if/when he or Newey ever move on to another team.

Bernie can we have a one make engine/chassis season every 4-5 years please?

There's no need to resort to one make championships here. We can make a more reasonable assessment of Vettel's contribution when the Red Bull era has passed into history and we have access to the frank, individual testimonies of the players and eye-witnesses involved in this success and the individual contributions that are instrumental to such success. It's difficult to make a confident determination on that now because accounts by Red Bull officers and employees are skewered by the need to maintain team unity so everybody gets a syrupy tribute but when team unity is not paramount anymore we'll hear a more nuanced assessment of what this era was about behind the scenes. Stats, titles, points are powerful but they are indicative; they don't tell us about the qualitative human story that goes on behind the scenes, that quantitative metrics are blind to but what makes this sport such a rich human drama.