'Alonso better than Hamilton and retiring too early'

Former Renault supremo Flavio Briatore has stated his opinion that Fernando Alonso's decision to leave Formula 1 is too soon, and reckons that the Spaniard is better than Lewis Hamilton - even at the moment, as the Brit battles for his fifth world championship.

The outspoken Italian has long been an admirer of Alonso, claiming that the two-time world champion at Renault was a 'key part' of his career.

Alonso has grown frustrated with McLaren's lack of competition over the past few seasons, and coupled with a number of DNF's, he made the decision to leave the sport at the end of the 2018 season.

His future remains unclear and Briatore, speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, feels that Alonso still has much more to offer.

He said: "I think he said goodbye a little too early."

"In Formula 1, things can change incredibly quickly. I would prefer to see Fernando in a Mercedes or Ferrari. At the highest level he is better than Hamilton and also much more consistent."