Fernando Alonso says he would rate himself as nine out of ten in all categories, arguing that he is one of the most complete drivers in Formula One.
The two-time world champion will return to F1 next year with Renault, which will be rebranded as Alpine from 2021 onwards. He last raced in F1 in 2018, but left the category to focus on other forms of motorsport.
However, ahead of his return, he believes he is still one of Formula One’s most complete drivers.
“I must agree,” he said during a press conference for a new Amazon documentary called Fernando. “I consider myself to be quite complete — maybe I score nine in everything.
“Maybe there’s a faster driver in wet conditions or on Saturday or on the starting line, one that’s better than me. But I think I’m close to the top in many circumstances and categories, and in the championship that’s a good thing to have.
“It’s like when you have any top athlete doing good in every single category, in the end you win.”
Away from F1, Alonso has won twice at Le Mans, competed in the Indianapolis 500 and taken part in the Dakar Rally. He believes those experiences have only bolstered his claim of being F1’s ultimate all-rounder.
“Throughout my career, when the engines were V10 or V8, we were there all the time, with Michelin, Pirelli, we were still there in the top positions,” he said.
“The wet conditions were always good for me, and now when I’ve gone to other categories, to go to the Dakar Rally and be amongst the top five was a good surprise for me. To jump in a car and be able to lead in the Indy 500 was a surprise to me.
“So you discover yourself as a driver who can adapt to any car, circumstance or category, and you start to harness that for your own benefit. You’re aware of your limitations — you try to hide them to not give any openings to your rivals or opponents.
“But your qualities, you try to emphasise them. And that’s what I intend to do — I try to emphasise them better than others.”