F1 commentator Peter Windsor has ignited a debate by declaring that Kimi Raikkonen was the faster driver when both he and his former Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso were at their peak in Formula 1.
Windsor believes that combining the unique talents of these two iconic drivers would create the “perfect racing driver.”
Raikkonen and Alonso burst onto the Formula 1 scene in 2001, and their rivalry reached its pinnacle in 2005 when they memorably battled for the championship.
Alonso ultimately clinched the first of his two consecutive World Championships with Renault that year.
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Raikkonen, on the other hand, made a stunning comeback in 2007, overtaking both Alonso and his McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton to secure the title by a single point.
While Raikkonen retired from Formula 1 at the conclusion of the 2021 season, Alonso, now 42 years old, continues to compete and has demonstrated his enduring skill by achieving podium finishes in half of the 14 races held in 2023 for the Aston Martin team.
The duo’s one-season stint together at Ferrari in 2014 showcased Alonso’s dominance within the team.
He outscored Raikkonen by an impressive 106 points in a challenging season for the Scuderia.
During a recent YouTube stream, Peter Windsor was asked to identify the faster driver at their peak, and he offered a compelling perspective, saying, “If you could combine Kimi’s talent with Fernando’s talent, you would have the perfect racing driver.
“Because here you have this guy that was virtually unbeatable over one lap, absolutely brilliant; and there’s Fernando, who wasn’t so good around one lap but could drive anything anywhere and on a Sunday there was nobody better.
“He could bring the car home, could live with all the variables and maximise them.”
Windsor’s analysis presents fans with a delightful dilemma in choosing between Raikkonen’s blistering speed over a single lap and Alonso’s mastery of racecraft and adaptability in varying conditions.
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Windsor elaborated, “If you’re talking about the fastest racing driver out of those two, I would say Kimi Raikkonen; if you’re saying the driver who, over a full race season in a car which 50 per cent of the time has front or rear wing damage, Fernando Alonso.
“ Kimi was a very good racing driver too. I shouldn’t sell him short – he was a very good racing driver and we shouldn’t just think he was a quick qualifier – and Fernando obviously has his moments as a qualifier as well.”
In conclusion, Windsor acknowledged his admiration for Fernando Alonso, emphasising, “You asked the question ‘quicker’ and I would say Kimi. “