Alonso rates himself as ‘one of the best’ in F1

Fernando Alonso believes he is one of the best drivers to have ever graced Formula 1, ahead of his 300th grand prix in Canada this weekend. 

The McLaren driver, who claimed back-to-back F1 titles in 2005 and 2006 with Renault, has won 32 races - the last of which came in 2013 - and has often been labelled as one of the most complete drivers on the current grid. 

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, Alonso said he rates himself as 9.5 out of 10 in every area of driving and considers himself as one of the sport’s all-time greats. 

"I am one of the best to have raced in F1. I am probably not fastest in qualifying, or the wet, but I am 9.5 in all areas. I try to benefit from that,” he explained.

The Spaniard missed out on further world championships in 2007 (by two points), 2010 (by five) and 2012 (by four) - all of which went down to the final race of the season. Following two near-misses with Ferrari, Alonso switched to McLaren in 2015 but a disastrous three-year spell with Japanese engine manufacturer Honda left him languishing down the order in uncompetitive machinery. 

"There are some opportunities missing," he acknowledged when reflecting on his career. "I could have won four or five championships, but at the same time I feel extremely privileged to have had 18 years in F1. I have a lot of good memories. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but winning my two championships was definitely the high point.”

Despite Alonso’s future in F1 remaining uncertain amid his bid to become just the second driver in history to win the unofficial triple crown of motorsport, the 36-year-old has moved to deny he is bored and ready to quit.