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[Tumisu]

I know it's very difficult to compare drivers in Formula 1, because the technical part is very important. However, some drivers have raced for different brands so maybe after some years it's easier to choose which one is the best.

Vettel, Hamilton and Alonso. Which one do you think is the best?

In my opinion, Vettel is a great driver but I think he's been lucky to have the best car so many years, so for me it's between Alonso and Hamilton, and I think Lewis is slightly better.

[Edited out URL, as a new user, as unsure as to if it a spammer - Jabberwocky]

[RyRy]

Unfortunately polls, websites and people's opinions are ultimately a load of rubbish in general when it comes to who's the best...

Some drivers have never managed to get in a competitive enough car and thus people discount them immediately...

However in some cases the cream really does rise to the top.

Hamilton and Alonso are both in my opinion (I'm pretty unbiased) the best two drivers. If I had to choose one I'd say Hamilton but it's close, they're both comfortably ahead of Vettel regardless of the fact he has 4 world championships.

Anyone who then tries to mention the fact Vettel wiped the floor with Webber is just silly. The car was very much based around Vettel as it is only logical to build the car around the shorter, lighter driver because he has a higher chance of winning. If you have one car that's comfortably more competitive than the other you're chances of winning go up dramatically, just look what would have happened last year if Rosberg came third in say 10 of the races, he would have been a further 30 points behind which is a free race win for Hamilton...

Drivers like Kubica and Riccardo (could do with seeing him for one more year) are both better than Vettel in my eyes.

If Kubica was in the Mercedes last year I'm sure it would have been an even closer battle between Hamilton and Kubica than it was with Rosberg.

[Hammer278]

Only 1 driver on the grid has outperformed a multiple world champion during his rookie year, and only 1 driver on the grid has won titles and proven himself in more than 1 team without any preferential treatment.

The answer is clear cut.

[racechick]

Easy. It's Lewis. In my humble opinion. Close between Alonso and Lewis, both better than Vettel. I have lengthy reasoning if you want it, but as I said, it's really just my opinion.

[ang4f1]

Well put Hammer...... ..got to be Lewis
That's why I support him too..........

[Tumisu]

Only 1 driver on the grid has outperformed a multiple world champion during his rookie year, and only 1 driver on the grid has won titles and proven himself in more than 1 team without any preferential treatment.

The answer is clear cut.

I mostly agree with that too...

[CookinFlat6]

As tumisi has put it, its hard to quantify this due to the variables at play. However there is one constant - which is that those F1 stakeholders with most to lose by not answering the question the best have the most credible opinion when it comes to who is best as they put big money on the outcome of their opinion.

Therefore we can only look to see which driver ends up in the best seat to tell us the answer

Lewis in the Merc
Seb in the Ferrari
Alonso in the mclaren

Even if a driver can sometimes uck into the best seat, he would never be out of the best seat after if he was the best available

All 3 drivers have moved team at least once, therefore the answer will have to be the one in the best seat of all

And being voted the best by the TPs on the grid by the biggest margin is also a clue

The driver chosen for the most dominant car in F1 history whilst the other 2 are chosen by also rans

[CevertF1]

I've been an F1 fan since 1970, I'm not saying I'm 'the' expert on drivers but I've seen them come and go and in my opinion for what its worth.

I would say all three are very talented drivers indeed and worthy champions but if I had to pick one, I would have to go with Alonso, I think he currently is the most naturally talented driver out there.

[CookinFlat6]

Its hard to argue with that. Its such a shame Alonso has this 'machismo' or 'pride' or extra hairy chest, or whatever it is that has made him have a huge bust up with every single Top team he was at, resulting in 2 years of wilderness after losing to the rookie Hamilton, and then the years at Ferrari where the team politics and his politics did not gell enough to produce a single title.

The good thing is that he has 2 WDCs and not just one like Kimi, as it would be a criminal disgrace for Seb to be running around with 4 WDCS and in Alonsos old seat, and Lewis with 2 WDCS and likely another 5 if the rumours of a 5 year extension from Bild are true, whilst the best driver, who was just not conniving and political like the others, finds himself hoping his team can keep his seat for the 5 years or so they will need before challenging Merc

For his indisputable sublime driving skills, he should have learnt to be a bit more crafty and sneaky, and to put the pride away, like the others, Senna, Hamilton or t a real stretch Prost

[RyRy]

Its hard to argue with that. Its such a shame Alonso has this 'machismo' or 'pride' or extra hairy chest, or whatever it is that has made him have a huge bust up with every single Top team he was at, resulting in 2 years of wilderness after losing to the rookie Hamilton, and then the years at Ferrari where the team politics and his politics did not gell enough to produce a single title.

The good thing is that he has 2 WDCs and not just one like Kimi, as it would be a criminal disgrace for Seb to be running around with 4 WDCS and in Alonsos old seat, and Lewis with 2 WDCS and likely another 5 if the rumours of a 5 year extension from Bild are true, whilst the best driver, who was just not conniving and political like the others, finds himself hoping his team can keep his seat for the 5 years or so they will need before challenging Merc

For his indisputable sublime driving skills, he should have learnt to be a bit more crafty and sneaky, and to put the pride away, like the others, Senna, Hamilton or t a real stretch Prost

I really don't see Alonso being any better than Hamilton, they are both very similar and regardless of later on in the season in 2007 Lewis was spanking Alonso multi times in his rookie year.

Alonso isn't as clever during racing as Hamilton, he isn't as good in the wet as Hamilton but he is probably more c consistent as he's more patient but too patient sometimes.

Hamilton's passion sometimes gets the better of him sometimes and ends up demoralizing himself.

Overall they are both very very good drivers, very close to being equally as good as one another BUT Alonso does seem to be staying at his level where as Hamilton is still improving.

[CookinFlat6]

I really don't see Alonso being any better than Hamilton, they are both very similar and regardless of later on in the season in 2007 Lewis was spanking Alonso multi times in his rookie year.

With something intangible like 'naturally talented' or 'naturally gifted' its entirely down to subjectiveness. For example there are a lot of golf players in the world who are 'naturally more talented' than Tiger etc, but are unfortunately working in Burger King or attending AA meetings because they were 'unlucky'

So even if Alonso is the most talented he is not the best, as evidenced by his inability to translate that into results, like getting beaten by the rookie Hamilton, and being unable to overtake the rookie Petrov for a WDC title. Perhaps he is not as complete as Hamilton, who is more adaptable, has won in 2 teams, is in the best seat for the next era, is a faster qualifier and better racer and has a better racing brain and race craft

But Alonso could still be regarded as more naturally talented and just less able to get the best out of it whereas Lewis does. Even in the areas Alonso seems to master - such as politicking and manipulating, he is not able to turn into results despite his natural talent

The statistics, such as races won, WDCS won, head to head ofcourse point to Hamilton being better, but they dont explain 'naturally gifted' which is a metric that only the observer can judge

[Jabberwocky]

Well only one of them has the same amount of championships as the other 2 put together.

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[stonemonkey]

Well only one of them has the same amount of championships as the other 2 put together.

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Soo, he must be twice as good as each of them.

[Jabberwocky]

And he has done it in half the time... does that make him 4 times as good?

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[stonemonkey]

I would agree with that.