Veteran F1 journalist draws parallels between Fernando Alonso's battle with Max Verstappen in 2023 to his battle with Lewis Hamilton in 2007

Veteran F1 journalist Peter Windsor said that Fernando Alonso's start to the 2023 season and his fight against Max Verstappen was reminiscent of Alonso's iconic battle against Lewis Hamilton in 2007.

Alonso and Hamilton were teammates for McLaren F1 in the Brit's debut season and pushed each other in the title fight until the end. The Spaniard made a similarly fast start to the season in 2023 and has finished on the podium twice in two races against the reigning double world champion Verstappen.

In a video debriefing on the driving style of Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen on his YouTube channel, Windsor said:

“It’s the difference between Fernando at McLaren in 2007 alongside Lewis Hamilton, and we saw it absolutely in stark contrast in my view. We saw it also going into [Turn] 1, particularly Fernando at the beginning of his lap.

“You could tell that the adrenaline was pumping and he braked just a fraction too late, because Fernando is all about late braking, and ran a little bit wide. Yes, he kept it all together – classic Fernando, beautiful hand and footwork to keep it together – and then through [Turns] 9 and 10, I thought he was very abrupt through there.

“Max through there was Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen DNA. Just perfect in terms of positioning the car through 9 – that really, really quick kink, just on the edge of the marbles, giving himself perfect room to get the car stopped and get a lovely exit out of 10. It was just a magical lap from Max, I thought.”

"He should have picked his teams better" - Eddie Jordan on Fernando Alonso

Eddie Jordan stated that he blamed Fernando Alonso for not winning more championships during his time in F1 and not picking better teams.

Speaking to OLBG, he said:

“I actually blame him for not winning four, six, or maybe even [becoming] eight-time World Champion, he should have picked his teams better. In his 30s, Alonso went for the money when he could have gone a different route.

“Now he’s come back to the understanding that he has a team around him that has enough to make the car finish well, but he won’t beat the Red Bulls. I believe he will win races this year.”

For the first time since leaving Ferrari in 2014, it does seem Fernando Alonso can truly fight for podiums and wins more consistently with Aston Martin in 2023.