Alonso receives ultimate 'better than Senna' praise

Fernando Alonso's first F1 team-mate has claimed the Spanish driver is "better" than Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Max Verstappen.

Brazilian Tarso Marques partnered Alonso at Minardi in 2001 and remains friends with the two-time F1 champion, who he rates very highly. 

Across his 398 race starts, Alonso has claimed two titles and 106 podiums, including 32 victories. 

Alonso defeated Schumacher to the title in 2005 and 2006, and in Marques' eyes is a more consistent driver than the likes of Senna, putting him in the 'greatest of all-time' bracket. 

"I am an Ayrton Senna fan, like all Brazilians, and there are recent legends like Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, and now Max Verstappen, and it's very difficult to compare drivers across eras, but I think Fernando is as good as them or better," Marques told Aston Martin F1. 

"If I had to pick one driver for my team, I would choose Fernando. I think he was better than Schumacher when they raced against each other and, Brazilians will get upset, I would say he's better than Senna too.

"Senna was amazing, a natural talent, but the truth is that he used to make more mistakes than Fernando. Fernando learned quickly how to drive a race not just fast but intelligently – something I would say of Hamilton, too."

Whilst Marques rates the 43-year-old above Senna, Schumacher and Verstappen, Alonso has fewer world titles. 

Alonso's former team-mate, however, believes the Aston Martin driver deserves not only more than his two championships but to be on a par with Schumacher and Hamilton with seven. 

"Fernando’s probably the greatest, along with Hamilton," added Marques. "I think Fernando should be on his level in the number of titles. He just hasn't had the right car at times. 

"I think he deserves more titles than he has. Those two world titles are great, but it's not a true reflection of his talent. He should have much more than that."