Alonso Said He's a Better Driver Now

Fernando Alonso insisted that he is now a better driver as compared to his first stint at Renault. Back during the 2005 and 2006 seasons, he won consecutive titles in the series, after which he moved to McLaren Mercedes. Although he hasn't managed to add a 3rd world title in his CV, he reckoned that the one year he spent at Woking, as well as the struggling years he experienced at Renault have made him a more complete racer.

As we have already covered the McLaren story, we'll focus on Alonso's comments over his second stint at Renault, when he struggled in the mid-to-rear pack through the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

“I knew I was only fighting for seventh or eighth but it was important to learn from that. I have no doubt I am a better driver now,” said Alonso in his interview with The Guardian, hinting that he preferred to leave a team in which he could have battled for the world title (at least theoretically) rather than play second fiddle to newcomer Lewis Hamilton.

In addition, Alonso talked about his future battle with Michael Schumacher, the 7-time world champion he used to beat back when he was driving for Renault. The fact that he hasn't won a world championship from the moment the German left the series is something Alonso believes is a “good sign,” especially since Schuey will return to F1 in 2010.

“It's true that since Michael left I haven't won any championships, so hopefully this is a good sign for me. Maybe there is some relationship between Michael and my success!” added the 21-grand prix winner for the aforementioned publication.

His comments come less than 24 hours after his stating that the Ferrari F10 is currently the best car he has ever drive in Formula One. And this reflected on his attitude within the F1 paddock, as reigning world champion Jenson Button also admitted his concerns over Alonso's great state of mind.

“I see a happy Alonso, and that's not good because it means he's fast,” said Button, according to Spanish newspaper Marca.