Alonso 'the greatest', says Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton says Fernando Alonso is the greatest driver he has raced against in his Formula 1 career. Four-time world champion Hamilton argues that, with just two crowns to his name, Alonso's honours list does not stand up to his driving talent.

Alonso ended Michael Schumacher's grip on F1 as he won consecutive titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006, becoming the youngest F1 champion in the process, having also become the youngest race winner in 2003.

A troublesome 2007 season at McLaren alongside Hamilton - where both lost out on the title to Kimi Raikkonen by a point - set off a chain of events that has arguably hampered Alonso ever since, as he fell out with McLaren staff and had to spend the next two years back at, a by now uncompetitive, Renault.

READ MORE: How will F1 remember Fernando Alonso?

Further near misses came once he moved to Ferrari in 2010, but Sebastian Vettel was by now in a Red Bull car that would help him break Alonso's records for prodigious titles and his race wins record had gone in 2008. It has since been lowered even further by Max Verstappen.

Both Vettel and Hamilton have streaked clear of Alonso's tally of 32 race wins in recent years as he has toiled back at McLaren, where neither the Honda or Renault power units have proved capable of competing.

Though Hamilton rejected any notion that he held "sadness" over Alonso's decision to quit, he did pay tribute to his former colleague's ability.

"For sure, in the racing world he will be missed, and within the racing the world he has been a really big part of it and is one of the greatest drivers that have ever been here," Hamilton said.

"I would say it is a shame that he is not as decorated as his ability deserves, but sport is a very interesting machine and it's not just about being a great driver.

"It is how you manoeuvre, how you play the game, it's like a chess game and how you position yourself with all the different things that are also part of the package.

"He is one of the greatest drivers I have driven against and I wish him all the best."