"I would beat him" - Fernando Alonso explains how his 2022 version is better than his 2006 version

Fernando Alonso has been racing in Formula 1 since 2001, and is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid. Even though the Spaniard's prime days are long gone, Alonso believes that his current self is much better than the 2006 version of himself, when he won his second world drivers' championship with Renault.

During an exclusive interview with Auto Motor Sport, Fernando Alonso was asked about the areas in which his current self is better than the 2006 version of himself. Since experience plays a massive part in F1, the Spaniard admits that he is currently better in almost every area. Alonso explained:

"In many [areas]. I can read a race better today. I know when to attack and when not to. In 2006 tire management hardly played a role. When it comes to pit stops today, it is important that you park with centimeter precision. With the refueling stops from back then, it didn't matter. You stood around for ten seconds to get gas anyway. If I had to race against the 2006 Alonso, I would beat him on exactly those details."

Fernando Alonso went into the differences the sport had when he won his second world championship back in 2006. During that time, F1 drivers hardly worried about tire management because they had to refuel their cars. Also, the level of precision in pit stops has drastically increased when compared to then.

Moreover, the veteran driver mentioned how he now knows when to attack for a move and when not to, and this shows how much he has grown over the years. Fernando Alonso has already shown some brilliant overtakes and wheel-to-wheel racing in the 2022 F1 season, despite being 41-year-old.

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Fernando Alonso didn't contribute to team enough, feels Esteban Ocon

Esteban Ocon, Fernando Alonso's former teammate at Alpine, spoke about how the Spaniard hardly put in the work to improve the team's performance. Speaking to Ouest France, Ocon explained how he did most of the work for the team. Despite having respect for the veteran driver, Esteban Ocon didn't shy away from criticizing Alonso. He said:

“I was disappointed by his comments in the press. We haven't had any discussions about that. I will keep the respect I have for him. It's good that he's going to Aston Martin and we're doing our bit on our own. Honestly, the work was 98% on my back and 2% on his. I was overworked. I was the one who did all the development in the simulator, the marketing trips.”

Esteban Ocon also mentioned how he is happy about the Spaniard leaving Alpine to join Aston Martin after Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement from the sport. Fernando Alonso has a reputation for burning bridges with several teams like McLaren and Alpine.