With the rumors roaming around the paddock of a return for Sebastian Vettel to the F1 grid, people have been looking back on his past races and championships to substantiate his return to the pinnacle of motorsport. However, in almost every talk around world championships or race victories, the name of Fernando Alonso keeps popping up, who the German has claimed to have been his toughest rival in F1.
Sebastian Vettel has shared the tarmac with racing legends such as Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and many more. But during his reign in the early 2010s, only one name, Fernando Alonso, was able to keep up with him. The Spaniard was in a bid to claim his third title by partnering up with Ferrari. Whereas, Vettel had the support of Red Bull and Adrian Newey, who helped him conquer the championship by the thinnest of margins ahead of Alonso.
The German and Alonso had battles on multiple occasions and they were full of the utmost sportsmanship.
Very competitive, I think it was the toughest rival I have faced. I have been on the verge of winning championships with him and throughout my career, in general, he is the type of driver who is always there. Sebastian Vettel said in an interview with talkSPORT
The 36-year-old looked back at his battles with the former two-time champion and claimed him to be very competitive. Furthermore, he stated that the Spaniard was his toughest rival to date and commended his ability to always be there to pounce and give him a serious run for his money.
Who is the greatest F1 driver according to Sebastian Vettel?
The former four-time champion has etched his name among the F1 greats, some of whom he used to race with till 2022. However, when it comes to giving a driver the title of the greatest ever, the German overlooked Alonso.
When asked about the greatest driver on his list, Vettel gave two names whom he values equally.
I would say Michael[Schumacher] and Lewis[Hamilton]. Why? Because the numbers speak for themselves. Michael was my hero and Lewis is the best in terms of statistics. Sebastian Vettel said in an interview with talkSPORT
The 36-year-old stated the names of Schumacher and Hamilton as the greatest of all time. He then substantiated his answer and elaborated that his German compatriot was his idol growing up and his hero. On the other hand, the Englishman has had the best statistics overall as he is a centurion and also tied with Schumacher for the number of championships won.
Apart from this, Vettel has been rumored to return to the F1 grid with Mercedes, just like his idol. However, this move is highly unlikely under current circumstances. The silly season is yet to conclude and keeping in view the unpredictable nature of the sport, anything can happen.
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