Fernando Alonso is currently at one of the peaks of his career, according to his former team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella.
Fisichella, who raced for Ferrari and Force India among others in F1, was alongside Alonso at Renault when the Spaniard won his two world titles in 2005 and 2006.
He, therefore, witnessed first-hand when Alonso was arguably at his very best as he finally stopped the juggernaut of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari, which had won five straight titles between 2000 and 2004.
But despite not yet winning a race in 2023, Fisichella - a two-time class winner at Le Mans - believes Alonso is as close to his best as he could possibly be right now.
"I am impressed. But I knew that because, Fernando, you know, how quick he is," Fisichella said on the Beyond the Grid podcast.
"He can take the same speed and he has much more experience than in the past. Fernando is in one of the best moments of his career and he can win a few races this year with a good car. I’m happy for him and I wish all the best for him."
Fisichella then went on to explain that he doesn't see age slowing Alonso down anytime soon based on his own experiences of racing into his 50s.
"In my experience, I can say the speed is about the same. I am still quick. I can do the same lap time as the quickest driver.
"I do feel more tired during the stint, I sweat more. The double, triple stint in Le Mans is more demanding for me than a few years ago. But I’m still able to do it, so I’m happy."