Fernando Alonso has described the 2024 season as his strongest yet in Formula 1 qualifying.
The two-time world champion, who has competed in an extraordinary 21 seasons, expressed pride in his performance despite driving what he called one of the slowest cars on the grid.
Alonso was amused when informed by DAZN of Max Verstappen's recent praise for his skills.
"Is Max saying that I also would have been champion a long time ago in a McLaren or a Ferrari?" the 43-year-old quipped. "Me too, even before him," he added with a laugh.
However, Alonso clarified that he wasn't entirely joking.
Despite previously labelling the 2024 Aston Martin as one of the grid's weakest, Alonso called it outright "the worst car ever" over team radio during the Abu Dhabi weekend.
"That's what always happens," Alonso said, rolling his eyes. "FOM is quite obsessed with my radio and taking it out of context. These are private conversations that you have with the team and they then tell the world.
"I always say things that are positive, but they only want to portray me as a grumpy guy. They've been doing it for years."
Alonso's pride for this year lies in his ability to shine during qualifying, even in challenging circumstances.
"16 out of 24 times in Q3, with the car we have this year, I think it shows that it must be my best season as a qualifier," Alonso explained.
"If I was voting, I would definitely give myself the award," he added with a smile. "I don't think we've had a car many, many times out of those 16 good enough to get into Q3."
