Damon Hill says Fernando Alonso is talking ‘a load of rubbish’ after he called F1 ‘unfair’

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Damon Hill has hit out at Fernando Alonso after he questioned whether F1 truly rewards driver talent.

Alonso is widely regarded as one of the best drivers of his generation, but he last won the world championship 20 years ago and hasn’t taken a Grand Prix victory since 2013.

Since leaving Ferrari for McLaren in 2015, a gamble that backfired spectacularly, Alonso has predominantly raced in the midfield. He retired in 2018 but made a comeback with Alpine in 2021 before joining Aston Martin.

How will Fernando Alonso’s Formula 1 career be remembered?

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Damon Hill ‘strongly disagrees’ with Fernando Alonso’s criticism of F1

In a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo, Alonso suggested it was ‘unfair’ that F1 drivers are so ‘dependent on the car’.

He pointed to the example of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who’s currently seventh in the standings despite being generally regarded as the best driver in the sport.

“I don’t know if F1 is a bit unfair in that sense, but there’s no point in wasting time explaining it to people who don’t want to understand,” he said. “That’s just how F1 is.

If Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were in equal machinery for their entire F1 careers, who would have been better?

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“Max Verstappen is the best driver on the grid, and this year he’s going to finish fifth or sixth in the World Championship, so you’re somewhat dependent on the car.”

After Autosport shared his remarks on Instagram, 1996 world champion Hill wrote on his story: “What a load of rubbish! I strongly disagree with FA [Fernando Alonso] here.”

Fernando Alonso: F1’s unluckiest driver or the victim of his own decisions?

Now 44, Alonso is currently driving the slowest car on the grid, with Q1 exits virtually certain every weekend. In Barcelona last weekend, his 42-race run of outqualifying teammate Lance Stroll came to an end, and he was two seconds down on the time required to reach Q2.

While a 32-time race-winner arguably deserves to be fighting at the front, many feel Alonso has paid the price for a number of poor career decisions, most notably his 2015 return to McLaren.

• READ MORE: Fernando Alonso Ferrari colleague says he could have seven F1 titles if he wasn’t so manipulative

For a variety of reasons, the Spaniard has also been overlooked for the vacancies that have arisen at top teams since his comeback.

Looking to 2027, potentially his final year in the sport, Alonso is considering a return to Alpine, based on rumours in the paddock. But even if he does make that move, he’s unlikely to manage anything more than occasional podiums.