Minardi ignores Verstappen and Leclerc: "Alonso for me the best driver"

Gian Carlo Minardi is a fan of Fernando Alonso, but according to the Italian, the two-time world champion would be wise not to return to Formula 1. Minardi thnks that the 38 year old driver should continue his career somewhere else because there are no good seats available anymore in the pinnacle of motorsport.

In the RadioBox podcast Minardi does hint that Alonso is above talented drivers such as Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. "Fernando is still the best driver for me, together with Lewis Hamilton," he says. "I think he could still challenge Lewis on equal terms. In a way he has a vision of racing that no one else has at the moment in Formula 1".

Renault not the right choice

Alonso has been associated with Renault in recent weeks. There he could possibly succeed Daniel Ricciardo, who left for McLaren in 2021, but Minardi doesn't think Alonso should join the French factory team for a third period. "That's a mistake he would make," said the founder of the old Minardi team. "He is 38 years old, then he can only go to a top team to prove how good he still is. Unfortunately, there are no seats available."

In recent years Alonso has driven in the WEC, the Dakar Rally and the IndyCar. One of the goals of the 32-time Grand Prix winner is to win the Triple Crown for which he only has to win the Indy500. Minardi believes that Alonso should continue to focus on such goals. "If I were him I would do something else (other than Formula 1, ed.). If I speak for myself I wouldn't go back to Formula 1", he concludes.