Back in 2007, rookie Lewis Hamilton and defending world champion Fernando Alonso locked horns with each other in a grueling battle despite being on the same team. While Alonso was unable to retain his drivers’ championship, Hamilton put together what was arguably the greatest rookie season in all of F1 history.
With most people praising the Briton for a commendable performance, Frank Worrall’s Biography of Hamilton quotes Alonso, who accused McLaren of taking sides and playing favorites based on the drivers’ nationality.
“He [Alonso] claimed that he had never been completely comfortable and added that he believed Lewis was unfairly favored by McLaren because he was a British driver and they were a British team.”
Worrall further quoted the words of Alonso when he said, “We knew all the support and help would go his way.” By saying this, the Spaniard once again emphasized his belief that McLaren was purposely ignoring his needs as they wanted to focus more on the driver belonging to their homeland.
The 42-year-old’s belief possibly became one of the reasons behind a great rivalry taking shape between the two teammates. Despite him being a rookie in 2007, Hamilton drove like he was as seasoned as Alonso and outperformed him that year, losing out on the drivers’ championship by a single point. The rivalry that started over a decade ago is still prevalent, and fans witness a glimpse of it now and then.
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are still not done with each other
16 years after their rivalry first took shape, both drivers are yet to make their peace with each other, often engaging in a battle out on the tracks. The battle often leads to verbal exchanges, with the latest example of the same coming back in 2022 at the Belgian Grand Prix. With Hamilton looking to overtake Alonso, the two made contact, which sent Hamilton’s car flying for a second. Alonso quickly took to his radio broadcast to label Hamilton “an idiot.” After reviewing the footage, Hamilton accepted full blame for the incident and claimed Alonso’s words didn’t “really matter.”
Had 2023 only been about Aston Martin and Mercedes, there is little doubt over a revival of the rivalry between the former teammates. However, with Red Bull and Max Verstappen in the mix, the two drivers could not spend much time challenging each other. Enjoying a strong start to the season, Aston Martin and Alonso might have been on the top of their respective disciplines.
However, a resurgence by Mercedes and Hamilton would have seen them oust their rivals and take up the top spots themselves. As such, the British driver would once again have the edge over his Spanish rival, but the on-track battles would have made for an exciting season for the fans.
