Johannesburg [South Africa], Jan 1 (ANI): One of the greatest rivalries of the Formula One involved retired drivers Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher. While remembering the challenges that both the drivers took against each other, Alonso said that they were as "special" and "emotional".

The duo competed for the Drivers' Championship in 2005 and 2006 and both the times it was Alonso who won the title.

"It's difficult to choose one, obviously, if I have to say one, it will be Michael. Not because any particular reason it was just because when I got to Formula 1 Michael was dominating the sport," Sport24 quoted Alonso, as saying.

"(When) you are in go-karts and you see Michael winning, you are different categories, you see Michael winning, and then eventually you find yourself fighting (him) wheel-to-wheel. So, those battles were definitely special, or more emotional at that time," he added.

While commenting on the current generation of Formula One, the former McLaren driver said that the youngsters are talented adding that with the evolvement of technology the level of driving has also improved.

"I think we had, and probably have right now the most talented generation. Because all drivers now they are more prepared," he said

"They get more time in the simulator, in different young driver programmes, so they go to Formula 1 with a level that was unthinkable a decade or two decades ago," he added.

In August, Alonso had announced that he would bid adieu to racing at the end of the ongoing season. Considered as one of the greatest Formula One drivers, he won the F1 World Championship titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006.

Schumacher, who holds the record of seven Formula One titles and 91 race wins between 1991 and 2006, had suffered from multiple head injuries while skiing during a French Alps vacation in 2013 and is still in the recovering stage. (ANI)

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