Montoya and Ricciardo sympathise with Alonso

Two F1 drivers, past and present, have sympathised with the current plight of Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard is acknowledged to be one of the very best and highest paid drivers on the grid, but at present he is languishing down the grid amid what F1 commentator Martin Brundle thinks is now a McLaren-Honda "crisis".

"Fernando is my hero!" joked former Williams and McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya. "I don't know how he bears it. I know I couldn't -- it must be so hard for a driver like him." Montoya, who switched to Nascar and then Indycar following an acrimonious split with McLaren a decade ago, told Spain's AS newspaper he also thinks Alonso's recent radio outbursts are forgivable.

"I fully understand his frustration," said the Colombian. "He is an extraordinary driver and what happened in Japan with those radio messages is just logical -- I would have done the same." Montoya, now 40, said Alonso is clearly one of the best drivers in F1 today. "I think Vettel is the most complete and the hardest working," he said, "but as for the speed it is Alonso. Hamilton is a balance between Vettel and Alonso, which is why he is doing well."

Meanwhile, current Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo also commented on Alonso's situation. "I don't know how he deals with it," the Australian told Spain's El Pais newspaper. "It must be a matter of changing perspective. I have talked a little about it with Jenson (Button), about how he can stay motivated. I'm sure it's not easy but you just have to change your perspective I suppose and appreciate other things. On Sundays you're not where you want to be, but the rest of the circus is fun," Ricciardo added. (GMM)

Replies (0)

Login to reply

AZ Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

AZAzerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

Test calendar

See full test schedule

World Championship standings 2026

Show full world champion standings

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2026

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
6 - Mar 8
Australia
13 - Mar 15
China
27 - Mar 29
Japan
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
1 - May 3
United States of America
22 - May 24
Canada
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
12 - Jun 14
Spain
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2026

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
10 - Apr 12
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
5 - Jun 7
Monaco Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
See full schedule

Driver profile

  • Team Aston Martin
  • Points 628
  • Podiums 9
  • Grand Prix 194
  • Country ES
  • Date of b. Jul 29 1981 (44)
  • Place of b. Oviedo, ES
  • Weight 68 kg
  • Length 1.71 m
Show full profile

Team profile

Show full profile
show sidebar