Back in 2007, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso proved the age-old adage: two alpha lions cannot share a den. The tensions between the two drivers brewed very early into their time at McLaren as both were vying for the World Championship.
The rivalry between Hamilton, a rookie, and the reigning two-time title winner Alonso also reiterated the fact that in F1, a driver’s biggest rival is the teammate. The bitter aftertaste of their disputes still remain. Both the drivers are unwilling to be more than mere acquaintances in the paddock, even though it has been 17 long years.
Lewis Hamilton was asked about Fernando Alonso’s recent comments about his championships pic.twitter.com/IzZOjlmCQd
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) October 31, 2022
Of course, there is some degree of mutual respect involved. But there was a time when Alonso didn’t even consider acknowledging Hamilton’s abilities. David Coulthard recently revealed how the Spaniard initially underestimated the British driver.
Hamilton was a highly-exciting talent in 2006 while securing his entry into the pinnacle of motorsport. But Alonso felt the British driver was not good enough.
The Spaniard, as per Coulthard, had confronted McLaren boss Ron Dennis saying, “You don’t want to win the constructors?”
“He completely underestimated Lewis’ potential. And anyone who’s seen Lewis from karting through the lower formula knew that he was special,” added Coulthard.
The former McLaren and Red Bull driver, however, added that the performance of young drivers in the feeder series can be misleading. Alonso’s doubts about Hamilton’s caliber could be justified. And, at the time, McLaren had a staunch competition in Ferrari for the constructors’ crown.
But Hamilton prevailed in the end. And, over time, he surpassed Alonso in the sport too.
Hamilton’s GOAT journey began after standing up to Alonso
Alonso was the hottest driver in F1 in 2007, having won his two titles with Renault. There was no way anyone could have predicted him finishing level on points with a rookie teammate.
The feud between the two drivers took on epic proportions. It became too much to bear, in fact. So McLaren decided to part ways with Alonso on mutual consent. The team’s determination to retain their golden boy, Hamilton, even at the cost of losing the best driver in the world, was telling.
The team management was proven right the very next year when Hamilton won his maiden championship. After a few years, he moved to Mercedes, and the rest is history.
The seven-time World Champion is moving to Ferrari after the end of the season. This has the potential to add another layer to Hamilton’s already cemented legacy in the sport. Let us see how the 2025 season pans out though.
