Fernando Alonso says Max Verstappen titles have more value than Lewis Hamilton’s seven

Fernando Alonso says Max Verstappen‘s two world championships are worth more than Lewis Hamilton‘s seven.

Verstappen beat Hamilton on the last lap of the last race in 2021 for his first title before winning the 2022 title with four races to spare at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Alonso, who won his two titles in 2005 and 2006, was teammates with Hamilton in 2007 when their close rivalry opened the door for Kimi Raikkonen to win the title.

Alonso does not think Hamilton or even Michael Schumacher won titles in the same way Verstappen has done.

“I have a lot of respect for Lewis, but still it is different when you win seven world titles when you only had to fight with your teammate,” Alonso told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf..

“Then I think a championship has less value than when you have fewer titles but have had to fight against other drivers with equal or even better material.

“In 2005 and 2006, I had a good start to the year myself and was able to create a lead. Then others might have had a better car, but I was able to manage that gap.

“I never had to fight with my teammate to win those titles. Nor did I see Max fighting with [Sergio] Perez or [Alex] Albon to win races.

“But Schumacher in particular fought with his teammate to become champion five times in a row and Hamilton fought with Rosberg and [Valtteri] Bottas. That’s different, I think.”

Has Hamilton only ever beaten his teammate?

Alonso has an argument for four of Hamilton’s championships.

Hamilton beat Ferrari’s Felipe Massa on the final lap of the season in 2008 for his first championship, passing Timo Glock on the penultimate corner at the Brazilian Grand Prix for the position he needed.

Alonso is correct that Hamilton then beat his teammate for his next two titles, seeing off the challenge of Nico Rosberg in 2014 and 2015. Rosberg then beat Hamilton to the title in 2016.

Hamilton had a competitive Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari for his next two championships in 2017 and 2018. The second of those, especially, can be considered a huge Ferrari choke given the car it had. It is also the season Vettel infamously crashed out while leading the wet German Grand Prix.

In 2019 and 2020 Hamilton was almost unmatched, with teammate Valtteri Bottas finishing a distant second on both occasions.

Verstappen’s second championship was a lot like Hamilton’s fourth and fifth, with an early Ferrari championship challenge falling apart as the team capitulated in spectacular fashion.