Honda principal Ross Brawn on Saturday left the Japanese team's own drivers out of his assessment of the top three or four drivers in formula one.

It is known that the Brackley based squad wants to sign former double world champion Fernando Alonso for the 2009 season, and Brawn told reporters at Spa-Francorchamps that he thinks the Spaniard is the best driver on the grid.

"My view is that he's the best driver in formula one at the moment and we're happy to wait and hope that he makes a positive decision for us," the Briton said in Belgium.

Brawn said he would put two other "very quick drivers" in the same league as Alonso.

"There's Lewis, there's Kimi and Fernando. And Felipe is coming up very quickly and closely behind," he said, without mentioning Honda's own Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.

Brawn explained that if he had a free pick of any of the drivers he mentioned, he would hire Alonso.

"Lewis is clearly very quick, a super guy but doesn't have the experience yet. Kimi doesn't have the reputation of being a person who can develop a car strongly but is very quick," he added.

Source: GMM