Fernando Alonso ‘privately’ told Lewis Hamilton’s rival he was the best driver in Formula 1 in 2016

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Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes established a stranglehold over Formula 1 between 2014 and 2021. Hamilton won six out of seven world championships in that period, while Mercedes swept to eight in a row.

Hamilton lost out to teammate Nico Rosberg in 2016 by just five points, while Max Verstappen sensationally passed him on the final lap of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP to win their epic battle. While there was a challenge from Sebastian Vettel in between, Hamilton wrapped up five of his six titles in the aforementioned sequence with races in hand.

For the most part, rivals rarely had the machinery to challenge. Mercedes stole a march on the field at the start of the turbo/hybrid era and they retained it until the end of the decade, even after considerable changes to the aerodynamic profile of the cars in 2017.

In addition to Vettel at Ferrari, Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo had to be content with sparse victories. Naturally, many of Hamilton’s critics suggested that Mercedes’ margin of superiority devalued his success.

Timing is everything in Formula 1 and nobody knows that better than Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard has been one of Hamilton’s great adversaries since their tumultuous year together at McLaren in 2007.

Alonso’s questionable moves, perhaps most notably leaving Ferrari for McLaren at the end of 2014, have limited him to a career haul of 32 wins. Many feel that’s not a true reflection of his talent.

Fernando Alonso told Daniel Ricciardo he was the best driver on the grid eight years ago

Back in 2016, Ricciardo produced what proved to be his best season in Formula 1. He finished third in the championship behind the two Mercedes, matching his position from 2014 but scoring more points (256 vs 238).

He won the Malaysian Grand Prix, one of four podium finishes, and produced a brilliant pole lap in Monaco. He would have won the race but for an infamous pit-lane mishap from Red Bull.

Speaking on The Race F1 podcast, journalist Ben Anderson recalled Alonso’s praise for the Australian. Rather than Hamilton or title rival Rosberg, he felt that Ricciardo was the best driver on the grid at the time.

He made that point in person before the penultimate race of the season in Brazil. It was another ‘confidence’ boost for the Red Bull star.

“Even his rivals think he was the best driver in 2016,” Anderson said. “I remember Fernando Alonso saying it publicly to the BBC, and then also telling Riccardo on the grid in Brazil privately, ‘oh, no, that’s not just me being nice, I genuinely believe it’. And again, this all fed into Riccardo’s confidence.”

The hidden message in Daniel Ricciardo’s helmet design before Red Bull axe

Few would have imagined, back in 2016, that Ricciardo would drop off the F1 grid at the age of 33. McLaren axed him a year before the end of his contract after an unrecognisable two years alongside Lando Norris.

Ricciardo would return with Red Bull junior team AlphaTauri last year but within 15 months, he lost his seat again, this time to Liam Lawson. His decline baffled his many admirers.

It may be that the current F1 cars don’t suit Ricciardo, as his RB engineer theorised. That doesn’t necessarily explain why he struggled at McLaren in 2021, though.

After his return, he faced constant questions over his worthiness for a drive. He nearly lost it after the Spanish GP, which explains Ricciardo’s hidden helmet message in Barcelona – ‘not without a fight’.