Alonso is better than Schumacher according to Briatore

This week, a very complicated question was posed to Flavio Briatore by an English journalist. The press asked him about the level of Fernando Alonso compared to Michael Schumacher. The two men have several points in common, but the main one was having the same manager/leader in the person of Flavio Briatore.

The former director of the Renault F1 Team, and of Benetton a few years earlier, did not want to answer the question but allowed the press to decipher his arguments themselves: According to Briatore, Alonso has the upper hand in at least one aspect; his resilience under pressure.

« They are two very different drivers, with participations in F1 championships in different eras, so we cannot compare them. » begins Briatore. « Nevertheless, on comparable points, I find that Fernando [Alonso] makes fewer mistakes than Schumacher. »

« The more pressure you put on Alonso, the better he will drive. Michael Schumacher did not have the same ease in handling pressure and therefore made more mistakes. »

The journalists of F1 Racing also publish a paragraph on Briatore’s feelings at the time when Alonso announced his departure for McLaren in 2005.

« I was never happy with this announcement. It was Christmas, but really not the best of gifts. Nevertheless, we were able to get him back after a year of high-level experience in a successful team. It’s always good for a driver. »

« I wasn’t disappointed or worried about him, I just remember being sad about his departure. » concluded the Italian.

Flavio Briatore and Fernando Alonso have always had a strong bond, comparable perhaps to the one between Ron Dennis and Lewis Hamilton at McLaren. For many managers, the driver must feel good with their director and team to succeed. The last 10 seasons also show that to win a championship, a driver must be designated as the team’s No. 1 driver from the start of the season. This will be the case for Alonso and Hamilton.