Nelson Piquet Jr. believes that Lewis Hamilton no longer has the same hunger for Formula 1 as Fernando Alonso. According to the Brazilian, the fire is still present in Alonso, despite his age, while it is less visible in Hamilton. “Alonso has the same motivation and hunger as 20 years ago,” said Piquet Jr.
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The former Formula 1 driver – and former teammate of Fernando Alonso – Nelson Piquet Jr. emphasizes that the Spaniard still possesses the same drive as in his early years. This motivation and hunger after two decades is something Piquet Jr. calls admirable. “His speed, he is an extremely fast driver who always wants more. He still has the same hunger as 20 years ago. That is very impressive,” Piquet Jr. told Soy Motor.
“Extremely special”
According to Piquet Jr., Lewis Hamilton’s passion is no longer so obvious. “You don’t see that drive in Lewis, for example. He doesn’t have the same love, passion, and hunger that Fernando does, even though Fernando is older. He is five or six years older than my generation and Lewis’, but has more passion than many other drivers. That is very respectable,” said the Brazilian.
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Piquet Jr. also compares Alonso to Max Verstappen. According to him, both drivers live entirely for racing. “Fernando is like Max: they both love racing. He is a pure racer and incredibly fast. When I raced against him in 2008 – eighteen years ago – he was at the top level. He was very difficult to beat. I have a lot of respect for him as a driver. That urge to constantly improve is not something you see in everyone. With Lewis, you simply see less of that. That still makes Alonso extremely special in this sport,” Piquet Jr. stated.
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