Do you recall the 2007 F1 season? Recall how the Rookie named Lewis Hamilton gave the 2X champion Fernando Alonso a run for his money in equal machinery? The two oldest drivers on the grid are considered among the greatest of all time. Despite the initial rivalry, the two have grown to respect each other. However, just 3 months after Alonso schooled Hamilton in Bahrain, the Briton expressed his allegiance with the Spaniard putting Max Verstappen’s super drive in his shadow.

Max Verstappen took the pole for the Monaco Grand Prix after a scintillating qualifying session. The final runs in the Q3 were absolute fire as multiple drivers took the provisional pole one after the other. However, Max Verstappen had the most surprising lap where he made up 3 tenths in the final sector and stole the joy from the Aston Martin garage as Fernando Alonso will start P2. One can only wish to see what wonders Alonso will do with the best machinery. 

Earlier Fernando Alonso wished for equal machinery with Lewis Hamilton sitting beside him. This year at Bahrain, the Spaniard taught the 7X Champion how to overtake even with a straight-line speed deficit. Despite the schooling, Lewis Hamilton post qualifying revealed that he was rooting for Fernando Alonso suggesting it could’ve been amazing for the Spaniard. Nevertheless, it wasn’t meant to be as the RB19 was just too quick. 

According to a Tweet uploaded by @startonpole, Lewis Hamilton after the Monaco qualifying session said, “Ocon came out of nowhere, he did obviously a great lap. I was really hopeful Fernando would have a pole at the end, I saw it and was like, ‘Oh, this could be amazing for him’. But that Red Bull was just too quick.” 

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While Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton might’ve been bitter rivals in the past, as they have grown mature, both have learned to appreciate talent and recognize one when they see it. Despite Max Verstappen’s super lap, Hamilton showed his allegiance to the 41-year-old. Alonso himself is ecstatic about the race as he debriefs on the qualifying session. 

Fernando Alonso on the Monaco Qualifying session and hopes for the Race

During the qualifying session, Fernando Alonso radioed his team that he is driving like an animal suggesting the level that he was pushing the car to. After his final run in Q3, he radioed suggesting that he cannot push the car more and extracted every bit out of the AMR23. Alonso after the race suggested that he will try everything to win and maybe a little help from Max Verstappen will go a long way for the Spaniard. 

According to Skysports.com, Fernando Alonso said, “I mean it’s very short into Turn 1, but we have normally had a good start this year. Max is a little bit inconsistent, so maybe it’s one of those bad ones. Let’s see what we can do in terms of strategy, [Or] if there’s any weather coming or something, but we will try to win.”

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Do you think Fernando Alonso can pip Max Verstappen this Sunday and put an end to his decade-old winless drought?