Dupasquier hails Alonso's brilliance

Michelin's Pierre Dupasquier, who retired from his Formula One role at the end of the season after several decades in the sport, believes that Alonso is among the very best in terms of his technical feedback and understanding of how to make his car better.

"I met Fernando Alonso for the first time at the Race of Champions. He wasn't yet a Formula One driver," said Dupasquier. "Two things struck me immediately: his modesty, and his determination. Both qualities were still there when we joined forces again at the Renault F1 Team.

"In our job, driver feedback is very important. Fernando has always been very precise in his comments. First of all, he has an incredible memory: he can recall the reference numbers of tyres used in a test several months previously. He does the first part of the technical analysis for us, making selections. That is a rare quality.

"He is now a mature driver. He knows how to win F1 races, battle with drivers like [Michael] Schumacher and [Juan Pablo] Montoya. What's more, he sets himself realistic targets: if he knows the car will not let him win, then he will aim for second.

"He also drives the car intelligently: he doesn't use up the engine or tyres for no reason. He has the technical understanding of a great driver."

Alonso helped Michelin win the company's first World Championship this year since they returned to F1 in 2001.