Ex-Formula 1 team owner and current pundit Eddie Jordan has blamed Fernando Alonso for the Spaniard’s current failure to win more than two titles in his career.
Alonso appeared destined to collect many more Championships when he edged out Michael Schumacher to clinch his second successive title with Renault in 2006.
However, after a tumultuous singular year alongside Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, Alonso returned for an unsuccessful brief second spell at Renault before attempting to deliver glory back to Ferrari.
But following three seasons of finishing runner-up to Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull, Alonso committed to a nightmare second stint with McLaren, wasted with its underpowered and unreliable Honda engine.
The two-time champion embarked on a sabbatical ahead of returning to the midfield-running Renault-owned Alpine squad for the two years prior to this one, scoring one podium.
Jordan believes that Alonso, now at Aston Martin, chased money over success and is to blame for not fulfilling the potential he showed earlier in his F1 career.
“I remember seeing Fernando Alonso pass Michael Schumacher from the outside on a damp track on a really difficult corner in Suzuka, Japan, and I said, ‘oh my god, how can he get away with that!’,” Jordan told OLBG recently.
“Alonso pulled the move off and I thought from there that he was destined for greatness.
“I actually blame him for not winning four, six or maybe even [becoming] eight-time World Champion, he should have picked his teams better.
“In his 30s, Alonso went for the money when he could have gone a different route.
“Now he’s come back to the understanding that he has a team around him that has enough to make the car finish well, but he won’t beat the Red Bulls.
“I believe he will win races this year.”
While Jordan is confident that Alonso can end his elusive near-10-year wait for a 33rd F1 victory, the Irishman is aware that Red Bull is a class apart at the moment.
Although a fast start from Alonso enabled him to take the lead in Saudi Arabia, the Aston Martin was quickly overtaken by Sergio Perez’s Red Bull and ended the race 20s behind.
“If I was Fernando Alonso, I know I would have a very fast and reliable car that can get him on the podium, which he’s proven twice already. You can’t get there by fluke, his speed is obvious,” he expressed.
“But I would look at the gap between him and Sergio Perez at the end of the race, the tyres were similar.
“If I was Alonso, I’d be targeting Perez and seeing how to get into his space and head.
“It was a very good start from Alonso but Perez made a great move and pulled away, despite the fact Alonso was desperate to hold onto the DRS.
“Alonso got whipped by an unbelievable Red Bull car, and it would probably happen again because keeping up with the Red Bull is too much for Aston Martin at the moment.”
