The F1 2023 season has been extremely enthralling for the various rivalries that have taken place this season. Although Max Verstappen and Red Bull have been utterly dominant at the front, the battles elsewhere have been extremely close. However, none have perhaps been as intriguing as the one between old arch-rivals Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
The two have been in a tight battle for third place in the championship as Alonso leads Hamilton by just six points. Since fighting for the title does not seem possible, the Spaniard has made his intentions clear for the rest of this season. The Aston Martin driver told El Larguero that his goal is now to keep the Briton behind in the championship for the rest of this campaign.
F1 fans are now getting to relive the rivalry between Alonso and Hamilton, who have battled each other on various occasions in the past. As for the two drivers, they would like nothing more than to have bragging rights over one another.
Fernando Alonso explains the importance of beating Lewis Hamilton
While speaking in a recent interview with El Larguero, Fernando Alonso explained how he and Aston Martin have man-marked Lewis Hamilton. The Spaniard stated that he and his team have been keeping a close eye on the Briton since the last race at Monza and are working together to form a strategy to keep him behind.
As quoted by soymotor.com, Alonso said, “We are going to do that, to do a little more man-marking“. The 42-year-old then added that while he and Aston Martin were never confident of performing well at Monza, he is more hopeful of a positive result in the upcoming race at Singapore.
In the same interview, he added how he is motivated to compete at the Yas Marina Street Circuit, having always performed well at this venue. Meanwhile, even though both Alonso and Hamilton have always been arch-rivals, they have always had the highest amount of respect for one another.
Hamilton believes Alonso has been his “toughest” rival in F1
While speaking in an interview with Sky Sports last season, Lewis Hamilton once again named Fernando Alonso as his “toughest” rival in F1. The Briton explained how he was under immense pressure to deliver back in 2007 when he was paired alongside a two-time champion in Alonso in his rookie season in F1.
Similarly to Hamilton, Alonso has always had the highest amount of praise for his longtime nemesis. In his most recent interview with formu1a.uno, Alonso rubbished age talks when it came to talking about what the future holds for Hamilton.
The Spaniard made it clear that he would choose the 38-year-old over any other driver as long as a younger racer did not prove to him that he was quicker than the seven-time champion. The Aston Martin driver then concluded his remarks by explaining how Hamilton is similar to him when it comes to age, as both are continuing to perform at their best.
