Sebastian Vettel on best F1 driver: “Hamilton with the best numbers, but Alonso the toughest”. Sebastian Vettel has no doubts, and when asked who is the best between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

Sebastian Vettel has no doubts, and when asked who is the best between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, he didn’t hesitate to give his answer.

Recent motorsport history is rich with great champions, with some drivers leaving their mark on the sport. The German has experienced various regulatory cycles, from naturally aspirated engines to the hybrid turbo era with the aerodynamic revolution of 2022. Throughout his long career, Sebastian Vettel has been able to compete with Formula 1 greats, battling both Hamilton and Alonso. It’s been a heated rivalry, allowing the German champion to choose the best driver he fought against on the track.

Although the four-time Formula 1 world champion is now away from the Circus, Sebastian Vettel’s voice is one that is often heard. In his sporadic media appearances, he still manages to give a clear view of the current Formula 1, its strengths, and weaknesses. In his latest chronological media appearance, Sebastian Vettel was asked who, in his opinion, was the best among Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Alonso.

“I would say the best are Michael and Lewis, why? The numbers speak for themselves,” he added that for him, Schumacher’s greatness is linked to emotions. It’s a different story for Hamilton, with his greatness attributed to statistics. “Michael was my hero, and Lewis has the best statistics.” – he pointed out.

These compliments are directed at the greatest of the series, but he didn’t approach either of them as the greatest rival on the track. It’s understandable with Michael Schumacher, given that the seven-time German champion was nearing the end of his career, while Sebastian Vettel was in the midst of his F1 adventure. However, it’s surprising that Lewis Hamilton’s name is absent from rivals, considering the two had many close battles between 2010 and 2020.

Surprised by the response, Sebastian Vettel then clarified which driver was the toughest during his career years. “Fernando Alonso, I had very tough championships with him throughout my career. In general, he’s the type of driver who is always there.” After this statement, Sebastian Vettel reinforced his argument, praising the toughness of the Spaniard on the track: “He’s very competitive, and yes, I believe he was the toughest competitor I’ve ever faced.”

The battles between the two date back to the championships of 2010 and 2012, with the two often closely fighting each other in almost every race. Even Horner himself, in a race in 2012, had stated that he feared only one thing from Ferrari, Fernando Alonso.