namao wrote:Alonso is one of the best drivers of F1's history, at the top 5, in my opinion. But, he is the worst driver at switching teams.
IMO that one is hard to argue. Alonso has driven for two of the most prestigious teams during seasons where he actually had a multiple GP winning car and by that definition also the ability to win a WDC. It was also within his decision to change teams when he did.
In 2005-2006, he was at Renault where he achieved his two WDC titles to date.
In 2007, he was at McLaren who should have won that years championship. It's hard to argue he deserved that years championship no matter how good of a driver he is; He trailed Lewis, his team-mate, by quite a considerable margin towards the end.
During 2007 and for 2008, he decided to move away from the team that had 'the' winning car, the best prospect of winning any title, he also participated in the ongoing politics that led to McLarens fine and exclusion of the WCC title and ultimately also to an unworkable driver-team relationship that forced him to the only other team that would take him at the time with no winning prospect: Renault. 2008, Lewis won that years championship with a car that Alonso could have used to contest that years WDC title.
2010 he got signed at Ferrari, arguably the most successful and most prestigious F1 team in history. He also had a multiple race winning car that year and in all his 5 years at Ferrari - also under very good circumstances where he faced no real competition from his team-mate and clearly was always the loved and supported driver of that team.
Looking back at that history, I can't help but think that Alonso - as great as a driver he may be - was also the limiting factor at times that limited him in winning further WDCs or put him in situations where he was not signed by teams that had a WDC capable winning car. He didn't fare well in teams that promoted equality among both its drivers when both were competitive (2007) and in all other years, he was always the defacto favored driver of the team. Perhaps this attributed to an image that made him less desirable to certain teams like RedBull, i.e. in the years after 2010 when they had a winning driver in Vettel and Webber on a year-by-year contract. His history with Lewis in 2007 perhaps also makes him less desirable to sign as a driver at Mercedes given they too have a winning team - hence why Alonso after his fallout at Ferrari left him no other choice but to end up at McLaren - a team that has been arguably in free fall since their heights in 2012. And for him to be taken back there is quite a miracle given the fallout he had and created back in 2007 with the whole spygate and saga.
I'm not disputing at all that a driver of Alonso's caliber deserves more WDCs than he has. Arguably, I rate him higher than Vettel, but where I can not fault Vettel and can only marvel at him is in his work ethos. The young German, like Schumacher, always striked me as a very methodically focused driver that can mold a team around his benefit. He did this successfully at RedBull and he is repeating that feat at Ferrari too. Is it coincidence that Ferrari now is performing better? Surely Vettel is not the only contributor to that - wide ranging staff changes have also contributed, but I do think Vettel is a not to be underestimated part of that puzzle. And I have my doubts if Alonso is the type of driver that has an actual and crucial positive effect on the team and the people around him.
Times when he does not win has demonstrated this. And his upsetting, critical and very public remarks, like i.e. at the 2015Japanese grand prix where he shamed his own team on public radio IMO does not show the persona of a brilliant genius, but the persona of a very frustrated 'i deserve better' type of diva. I can't blame him and I'm not trying to be overly critical of him, but IMO - the ethos of a methodically focused driver has a much more positive effect on the people around him that would lead to better results, better performance than what his remarks and general attitude provoke - namely further friction between team (McLaren) and engine supplier (Honda) that absolutely require a harmonic partnership to succeed. Those remarks came, admittedly towards the end of a very embarrassing season, but also the first season of a contract consisting of 3 seasons and what was always clearly to be a 'long term project'.
When I look at Alonso at any team that isn't performing - I don't want to see threats of leaving (even if such threats never came directly from him, his attitude support them), critic or attitude of him being the best and deserving more - I want to see the opposite: devotion, motivation, focus. And these are qualities I sadly don't see enough but see in drivers like Vettel, even Button - drivers who are very liked around the paddock and drivers who arguably have a more positive effect on their team. And in a team where the "team" element is more important than what the driver himself brings in form of performance, these qualities are
everything. Being the most gifted driver is simply not enough. And it is also the reason why IMO Alonso will never succeed on the two titles he has, unless he strikes gold with McLaren-Honda (which I doubt).
My 2 cents.
