“Don’t Think Hamilton and I Will be Friends”: Fernando Alonso Slams Former McLaren Boss as Reason behind Lewis Rivalry

Aston Martin driver, Fernando Alonso, had a good 2023 season with him standing 4th in the driver bracket. The Spanish driver has been in a rivalry with record-holder Lewis Hamilton for over a decade with the inception being back in 2007. But the rivalry on the track has panned out into their personal lives, according to Alonso.

The rivalry emerged early in the season of 2007, just five races in, as Hamilton, McLaren‘s chosen rookie, challenged Alonso, the reigning heavyweight champion. Fernando Alonso has finally become vocal about what went down between him and Hamilton all those years ago.

Alonso Vs Hamilton: The Truth comes out

The rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso has seen fluctuations over the years, with its intensity reignited in 2023 due to cars of similar performance. Spanish F1 page, Formula Directa took to X to unfold the story behind the years-long rivalry between Alonso and Hamilton. The posts on X revealed Alonso’s story of what happened back those years ago and how the Principal of McLaren, Ron Dennis, had a role in the feud.

Alonso said, “With Flavio Briatore or Lawrence Stroll, what happened in 2007 would not have happened.” According to Alonso, Lawrence Stroll would have handled the situation better than Dennis. The Spaniard also stated, “Ron Dennis did not know how to control the situation. There are certain characters who are respected (Briatore and Stroll) and others whose pilots had control over the situation.”

Upon further opening up about the rivalry, Alonso mentioned, “I don’t think Hamilton and I will be friends in the future. We don’t share many things.” Although this might break the hearts of fans hoping for them to bury the hatchet, most of the fans have already come to terms with the ongoing battle.

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An honest confession came from Alonso on his experience with racing Hamilton, “Every time we get ahead of each other, it has an extra satisfaction and pain when you are the one ahead.” The emotional quotient is high when it comes to the rivalry between the two, but what exactly happened back in 2007?

Where did it all start?

It all began when Hamilton made his F1 debut as Alonso’s teammate in 2007, a surprising choice by McLaren. The young driver immediately marked himself as a threat by overtaking Alonso in the first race in Melbourne and finishing third. By the fourth race, Hamilton led the championship, creating tension within the team. Monaco, with the drivers running 1-2, became a pivotal moment. The team ordered both drivers to maintain positions, but Hamilton, feeling bottled up, pushed back.

In Monaco, after the final pitstop, the team instructed Fernando Alonso to reduce power to maintain the finishing order. Hamilton, frustrated and on course to overtake Alonso, had his team bring him in early to avoid potential team recriminations.

The relationship between the drivers continued to deteriorate, with Hamilton’s comments indicating dissatisfaction with finishing second in Monaco. The title battle unfolded with memorable moments, including Alonso’s comments about team favoritism in Canada and a gesture in Indianapolis, setting the stage for a contentious season.

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Alonso left McLaren in frustration, returning to Renault in 2008, while Hamilton continued with McLaren and won his first championship. That being said, there is a lot of unresolved tension between the two. Despite Alonso’s words, do you think the two racers will be able to race as friends?