Former teammates and world champion driver, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton share a long-standing rivalry given the fact that the two hold the potential of winning yet another championship title regardless of their age which is a hot topic on the paddock. The British driver is statistically regarded as one of the best drivers Formula 1 has ever seen regardless of his recent average or rather forgettable performance.
However, Alonso believes that the Mercedes driver is a level above his teammate, the young George Russell who is also a strong contender of his own. The Spaniard lately made a statement in the capital city of Madrid, “But he’s fast, and look, compare him with Russell, who’s also a great driver. In the end, Hamilton is doing a better year. He has a lot more points than George, and he shows that he always gives his all on the track.”
Alonso talked about Lewis at an event in Madrid recently:
“But he’s fast, and look, compare him with Russell, who’s also a great driver. In the end, Hamilton is doing a better year. He has a lot more points than George, and he shows that he always gives his all on the track.” pic.twitter.com/7YDfw2E3p4
— Sir Lewis Updates (@LH44updates) September 7, 2023
This was a surprise coming from the man who isn’t afraid of calling out Hamilton when he deems fit. Alonso pointed out that Hamilton is still giving his all and illustrating the outlook of a real champion. After multiple rumors floating around the paddock and speculations regarding the Briton’s ongoing contract with Mercedes was set to expire until he and George Russell received a two-year extension.
Fernando Alonso Called Lewis Hamilton an ‘idiot’ in shocking F1 incident
When the drivers were racing to make it to the finish line at the Spa-Francorchamps track during the Belgian Grand Prix of 2022, the furious Spaniard made a nasty comment about Hamilton. Alonso screamed at the road, “What an idiot! He closed the door from the outside… I mean, we had a mega start but this guy only knows how to drive starting first.” This happened after a crash which led Lewis Hamilton to retire into the Mercedes garage.
Alonso calls Lewis Hamilton an Idiot for closing door from outside.#F1 #LewisHamilton #Formula1 #Alonso #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/gEZY9MDa0V
— W2W (@wheel2wheelf1) August 28, 2022
As he drove for Alpine that year, Alonso almost crashed into Lewis during the first few laps as the latter directly came in contact with Les Combes. After the race was over, both Hamilton and Alonso commented on what had occurred. The Briton apologized for what he had done and labeled the incident to be an unfortunate one. Lewis responsibly held himself accountable for the crash in front of all but was rather upset about the “idiot” remark.
The stewards gave the situation careful thought but came to the conclusion that it wasn’t worth a further comprehensive investigation. In hindsight, Alonso made it clear that his heated remarks didn’t accurately reflect how he felt about his former colleague. Shortly after the accident, the reigning champion Max Verstappen won an incredible race at Spa after starting from the same spot.