Giancarlo Fisichella says it is not true that Fernando Alonso causes problems inside every F1 team.
With Alonso retiring at the end of the year, some say the Spaniard has in fact burned every bridge due to his uncompromising attitude, comments and tactics.
But Italian Fisichella, who was Alonso’s teammate for his 2005 and 2006 titles at Renault, said: "We shared two very nice years together.
"There was an atmosphere in the team that I had never encountered before. We were friends and we got along very well.
"We always worked together and sometimes an hour before the races we were playing cards," Fisichella told El Mundo Deportivo newspaper.
However, another former Alonso teammate - Felipe Massa - said a few days ago that the 37-year-old always caused problems at his teams.
"I can’t say anything about that," Fisichella responded. "Together we won everything. We had an optimal relationship and friendship, which is why I say that for me it wasn’t like that."
Now, Alonso is departing F1, with Fisichella and many others expecting him to switch to Indycar.
"I would tell him to continue doing what he knows how to do best," Fisichella said. "He has achieved so much and I wish him luck.