Damon Hill admits F1 driver with ‘incredible sixth sense’ is ‘one step ahead’ of his rivals
Damon Hill admits F1 driver with ‘incredible sixth sense’ is ‘one step ahead’ of his rivals
Damon Hill has suggested that the most experienced driver on the Formula 1 grid – Fernando Alonso – is always one step ahead of his rivals.
Fernando Alonso is about to enter the 21st season of his Formula 1 career, first joining the grid with Minardi – now Visa Cash App RB – back in 2001.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, Damon Hill has been revelling in the Spaniard’s talent and explaining what makes him such a good driver.
Amazingly, Fernando Alonso is only a two-time Formula 1 world champion.
After impressing during that previously mentioned rookie season with Minardi, he ended up becoming the key cog in Renault’s success in the mid-2000s.
He won the title in 2005 and 2006 before making the switch to McLaren.
It was the first of several moves that ended up harming his career as it seemed that every time he joined a manufacturer tipped for success they failed.
He finished runner-up in the 2010, 2012 and 2013 seasons while driving for Ferrari, but simply couldn’t compete with Sebastian Vettel.
While the German has had more success in F1, Alonso is still going strong in the sport while Vettel is enjoying his retirement.
Aston Martin were far from the strongest team on the grid last year, but he maximised all the performance that the car had.
His eight podiums compared to Lance Stroll’s total of zero sums up just what level he’s still operating on.
Asked about the Spaniard, Hill said: “I think there’s a lot of goodwill there for Fernando [Alonso], he’s another one who has delivered consistently and he’s such a canny driver.
“He’s entertaining to listen to, his comments are hilarious and you know he’s always one step ahead.
“He’s got this incredible sixth sense for what’s going on around him, both politically and tactically in a race and he’s quick.
“So, he’s very much admired, I think every racing driver looks at him and thinks there’s a good contender, not someone to be taken lightly.”
Alonso will hope that the advantage Hill talks about will mean he can stay ahead of his nearest rivals.
One of those rivals may be Oscar Piastri, who admits its special to race against someone who started in F1 when he was a toddler.
He’s already fired Aston Martin an ‘important’ warning ahead of 2024 and will be desperate for the team to provide him a car that can compete for podiums once again.
