When Jacques Villeneuve speaks, the Formula 1 world listens—and this time, the former world champion dropped a bombshell. In a bold interview on the Red Flags podcast, Villeneuve ranked Fernando Alonso above Lewis Hamilton, claiming the Spanish legend is the “more complete driver” and questioning Hamilton’s consistency over the years. For a man who won his own F1 title in 1997, Villeneuve’s words carry the weight of experience—and controversy.
Villeneuve didn’t hold back. He called out Hamilton for having “too many downs” during his career and said that during Mercedes’ dominant years, the car was so powerful that “even Bottas would have won.” His message? Hamilton wasn’t always winning because of brilliance—he was winning because of the machine underneath him. Meanwhile, Alonso, he said, shows up every single weekend—whether he’s fighting at the front or dragging a midfield car to the edge of glory.
That 2007 McLaren season still haunts F1 debates. A rookie Hamilton went toe-to-toe with a reigning double world champion Alonso—both ending the season tied on points. It shook the sport. And even now, nearly two decades later, fans and legends are still debating who came out of that battle as the real king. Villeneuve clearly believes Alonso’s grit and persistence put him above Hamilton’s explosive—but sometimes inconsistent—style.
This isn’t just Villeneuve’s opinion. Jenson Button, another former world champ who raced alongside both, once said Alonso was the most complete driver he’d ever seen—one who would find any trick, any line, any setup edge to beat you. Hamilton, in contrast, he described as “straightforward”—blisteringly fast, but less cerebral. It’s a fascinating contrast between pure speed and strategic warfare.
But the numbers tell a different story. Hamilton holds seven world titles, over 100 race wins, and more pole positions than any driver in history. Alonso? Just two championships, and years spent in cars that couldn’t touch the podium. Yet here we are—2025—and Villeneuve says it’s Alonso who deserves more praise. Why? Because he performs even when there’s nothing to fight for. Because he never disappears.
In the end, this debate exposes a deeper question in Formula 1: Do titles define greatness—or does consistency and craft under pressure matter more? Villeneuve clearly believes in the latter. And his take just lit a fire under one of the biggest debates in F1 history.
