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Formula One F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – November 17, 2022 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso during the press conference REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – November 17, 2022 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso during the press conference REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
The 2007 McLaren pairing is fighting the same battle again. Veterans Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are the oldest drivers on the 2023 grid. The other commonality between the world champions is that both of them are two of the six drivers ever to cross a 300 Grand Prix start mark. Hamilton became the latest driver to join the club. Alonso, who had been sitting there for a while, has company now. But this milestone comes with a curse.
Both these drivers are looking for redemption after a particularly difficult 2022 season. Mercedes could not give Lewis a race-winning car and he was even struggling to even make it out of Q1 at one point. On the other hand, Alonso struggled with Alpine’s reliability issues. The Spaniard displayed masterclass drives on several occasions, starting from the front row in the Canadian GP, in 2022. But the torment continued for both the ex-teammates.
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Qatar Grand Prix – Losail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar – November 21, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium after winning the race alongside second placed Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and third placed Alpine’s Fernando Alonso REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/Pool
A winless season for Hamilton coincided with him crossing the 300th GP mark. As the ‘legend’ holds, no driver has ever won a race after competing in their 300th Grand Prix. As pointed out by corrieredellosport.it, both ex-McLaren drivers are united by the possibility of hitting a record that no one has ever achieved, i.e. winning after competing in over 300 GPs.
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Both of them are amongst the greatest drivers to ever walk on Earth. If anyone can do it, it is them. However, it may not be a smooth ride.
A tough road ahead for Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso
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Hungry for redemption, Alonso signed a multiyear contract with Aston Martin. Can this be it for him? Fernando, being the oldest driver on the grid, also has the most race starts now. He dethroned Kimi Raikkonen to achieve that feat at Singapore GP, in 2022. Other drivers who have crossed the winless milestone are Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello, and Michael Schumacher.
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Formula One F1 – Brazilian Grand Prix – Jose Carlos Pace Circuit, Sao Paulo, Brazil – November 10, 2022 Alpine’s Fernando Alonso ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli
Lewis had his last victory in the 2021 season, while Alonso relished his almost a decade ago. The duo is hoping for a race-winning car next season but can their teams do it? With the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull miles ahead in the construction race, a win seems like a tough task. To add to that, the likes of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen already pose a great threat currently driving the fastest cars on the grid.
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Both drivers intend to leave no stone unturned in the coming seasons. What are your predictions for the veterans?
