'Overrated' Alonso not in Schuamcher's category

Fernando Alonso has been overrated in is Formula 1 career and should not be rated alongside Michael Schumacher, according to former world champion Jody Scheckter. Alonso confirmed on Tuesday that he will not race in F1 in 2019, having grown frustrated with McLaren's struggle to produce a competitive car.

McLaren is expected to sign a full-time deal in IndyCar for 2019 as he goes in search of the 'Triple Crown' by winning the Indianapolis 500.

A two-time world champion, Alonso ended Schumacher and Ferrari's dominance of F1 in the mid-2000s and has often been credited as the best natural racer in F1 since.

However, Scheckter says Alonso's habit to anger those within his team mean he cannot be considered an all-time great.

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"I like to just think how many championships somebody's won," the 1979 champion told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"You can rate people that they had bad luck and bad cars. I think people overrate him. One of his problems is he seems to upset teams and everybody around him.

"That's not the way to win world championships. You've got to work with your team and you're nearly a leader [as a driver]."

A former team-mate of both Alonso and Schumacher at Ferrari, Felipe Massa, suggested that their pair were on a level in terms of pure talent, but Scheckter disagreed.

He said: "For me, absolutely not. Schumacher has got to be rated as the best driver ever. Alonso I don't think he's in that category.

"[That's] not to say he's not a good driver. He's one of the top drivers there now."