Rosberg praises Alonso: 'He deserves to be in Formula 1'

Fernando Alonso found a new supporter, and not the least important one. 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg declared his admiration for the Spanish driver this season, after the Canadian Grand Prix. In Montreal, the pilot Alpine had achieved the feat of placing his car at the front of the line.

A major performance which impressed the German. “I'm a big fan of Fernando Alonso at the moment. I find it very exciting to watch him drive. We all know that he is very talented, that he is one of the best in history. » believes the retired driver, who even affirms that there is no comparison between Alonso and Or with in Alpine. “He’s so brilliant at what he does with the car he owns. Esteban Ocon is a very good driver and yet, in Montreal, Alonso was far ahead of him all weekend. »

Now a consultant for the Sky Sports channel, Rosberg was disappointed with the Spaniard's result in Canada, weighed down by a bad strategy and an engine problem. “I wanted him to be on the podium! I think that'Alpine also made a mistake, it wasn't just bad luck with the VSCs. They could have stopped sooner like what they did Ferrari. It was terrible to see him back down like that. »

“Alonso is more than deserving to be there” says Rosberg

Nico Rosberg believes Alonso's driving remains exceptional despite his age. The ex-pilot Mercedes speaks with full knowledge of the facts, having been in a similar situation with Michael Schumacher and between 2010 2012. “I was teammates with Schumacher, who was 40-41 at the time. And I saw with Michael that sometimes, even if the rhythm was there, he had difficulty quickly adapting to the situation. He had certainly passed his peak performance at that time and that's normal, it's human. (…) But for Alonso, to see him still driving like that, it’s really great. »

And when Rosberg is asked if he thinks Alonso should give up his place to young drivers, particularly to Oscar piastri, the ex-pilot of F1 has the merit of being clear. “Alonso's driving is so impressive that there shouldn't even be any discussion about him taking someone else's place. He is more than deserving to be where he is. His way of driving is so spectacular, all the fans love it. (…) It should be up to others to leave a place for Piastri! » No doubt, Rosberg was indeed bitten by Alonsomania this year.

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