Fernando Alonso ‘nowhere near the level’ as Lewis Hamilton comparison made
“So I also think about, psychologically, what goes on in these guy’s heads.”
Ex-F1 team boss Eddie Jordan believes Fernando Alonso isn’t performing at the level “he thinks he can be at”.
After a fairly strong start to the year, battling it out with the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari, Aston Martin - like in 2023 - have dropped back in the pecking order.
Aston Martin’s lack of pace seems to have coincided with a personal dip in form for Alonso.
In 14 rounds, Alonso has been out-qualified five times by Lance Stroll - it only happened on three occasions in the entire 2023 campaign.
While Alonso remains comfortably ahead in the standings, it hasn't been as comfortable as last year.
Speaking on the Formula for Success podcast, Jordan questioned the two-time world champion’s performances in recent rounds.
“You see that exactly with Alonso where, at the beginning of the year, he was awesome,” Jordan said.
“At the moment, I’d have to look to see where he ends up and whether he’s actually in the top 10 or not.
“As it happens he drove well yesterday [in Belgium], dragged more points for Aston, but at the same time he’s nowhere near the level he thinks he can be at.”
Aston Martin started last year in fantastic form, often being Red Bull’s nearest challenger.
Jordan feels Aston Martin’s downturn in performance is having an impact on Alonso mentally, making reference to the difference in success with Lewis Hamilton.
“Because, for him in his mind, he’s every bit as good as Lewis [Hamilton],” he added.
“He expected to be able to fight with Lewis this year and to be honest, that hasn’t happened and you can’t see it happening for the remainder of this year.
“So I also think about, psychologically, what goes on in these guy’s heads.”