“In the end, the score was 109-109” – Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has refused to compare himself with former McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton, now a seven-time world-beater in Formula 1.
Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton had a blockbuster McLaren partnership in 2007, with too many controversies to keep a count. Their bitterness couldn’t help either driver, as Kimi Raikkonen in his Ferrari took home the world title. Alonso is back to F1 this season, with on-track duels with Hamilton hopefully on the menu.
As expected, Alonso and McLaren terminated their contract by mutual consent after that season. Speaking to WTF1, the Spaniard spoke about how it was difficult for him to compete against the newbie Hamilton. He primarily put it down to the switch of tyres for him from Michelin to Bridgestone.
“It is difficult to compare times and drivers even in the same because you have to have all the ingredients together to have a fair answer. It is true that having the same car and the same team in a year is a good opportunity to compare drivers. In the end, the score was 109-109. That is an answer.”
“Many people remember that it was their debut year and that it was not mine, but I can say that I switched to Bridgestone, which was a GP2 tire at the time compared to the Michelin we used at that time.”
“My first three or four races and the winter tests were very difficult with those tires because I had to readjust my riding and change my style. That was never made public because I had no interest. But it’s true: it was his rookie year.”
