Liberty Media names three drivers they consider a ‘blessing’ to F1 in their tenure, snubs Fernando Alonso

A two-time world champion, Fernando Alonso has undoubtedly etched his name into F1 history as one of the most talented drivers.

Fernando Alonso(Credits: The Independent)

In 2016, Liberty Media acquired Formula 1 from CVC and subsequently steered the sport in a new direction, embracing the benefits of social media and TV streaming. This strategic approach has significantly increased the sport’s global popularity, surpassing its initial status under previous ownership. Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei says F1 has been “blessed” to have had three of the sport’s all-time greats in recent years.

The CEO, speaking to the Walker Webcast, has named the three drivers as Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton– notably excluding the two times world champion Fernando Alonso. He went on to praise all that the drivers had done for the sport, a testament to their admirable, desirable qualities.

He said on the Webcast, “It’s clear Max is an incredibly focused individual. Aggressive, smart, capable. Training all the time, thinking all the time. And Lewis is too. Great skills. It’s always very tough to know how much is the car in Formula 1, how much is the team – because it’s a team. There are a huge amount of resources backing them up.”

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The CEO continued, “Strategic decisions about tire changes and lots of other things that are the team, tire choices. And then how much is the driver? Weighing all that is hard. And Sebastian Vettel, look at our tenure, we’ve had three of the greatest drivers in history. But clearly we’re blessed to have, in the era where Liberty’s been involved, three of the greatest of all time.”

He believes that the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton all warrant a top 3 spot at the cost of Fernando Alonso, who has shattered expectations time and again throughout his long, successful F1 career.

Fernando Alonso’s F1 achievements cannot be understated

Fernando Alonso (Credits: Evening Standard)

A young Fernando Alonso played a pivotal role in ending Michael Schumacher’s dominant reign in F1. With exceptional skill and consistency, Alonso challenged Schumacher directly, ultimately winning back-to-back World Championships in 2005 and 2006. His achievements marked a significant turning point, breaking Schumacher’s long-standing dominance and paving a new path for the sport.

After a torrid few years, he joined Ferrari, where he was presented with mediocre machinery. Nonetheless, he took a car that was far from the best on the grid and challenged Sebastian Vettel for the title in 2010 and 2012. He narrowly missed out by 4 and 3 points, respectively, which is an astonishing feat given how dominant Red Bull’s car was compared to Ferrari.

All 20 cars of Fernando Alonso in F1 pic.twitter.com/Kepb6tJGz3
— Aston Martin F1 updates (@startonpole) June 17, 2023

Veteran Fernando Alonso’s longevity as well is astounding. He made his debut in 2001 for Minardi and went on to drive for several top teams such as Renault, McLaren, Ferrari, Alpine, and now Aston Martin. At 41 years of age, Alonso still displays the hunger for the victory he did at the start of his career. He is a two-time world champion, having amassed 32 race wins, 104 podiums, and 22 pole positions.

Thus, it seems strange that Liberty Media has made no mention of Alonso being a ‘blessing’ to Formula One, as he has undoubtedly made his impact on the sport. He remains one of the best drivers on the grid as he pushes Aston Martin forward.