Lewis Hamilton’s rookie season was one of the best in F1 history, with the Briton losing out on the title by just one point. He was engaged in a season-long battle with McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso that year. Since Alonso was the reigning two-time world champion, McLaren often favored him. Hamilton once spoke about the same and exposed a clever trick the mechanics resorted to.
In 2019, Hamilton was talking about his McLaren days in an interview with the BBC (as reported on X by Ali). He revealed how the engineers would give a heavier fuel load on his car in order to prevent him and Alonso from clashing on the track. That was until the Canadian GP, which interestingly marked Hamilton’s first-ever win in F1.
In an interview with BBC in 2019, Hamilton said Canada was the first weekend him and Alonso was on “equal fuel”. Basically, on previous race weeks Hamilton had heavier fuel loads than Alonso to avoid conflicts between them in both qualifying and the races. pic.twitter.com/LWuneqHkpg
— Ali ✍ (@ftblalii) January 2, 2024
Before they visited Montreal, Alonso had a lighter car underneath him. The fact that Hamilton won the very first race when his fuel load was equal to Alonso’s proves that he could have had his first Grand Prix win a lot sooner. From thereon, McLaren began trusting Hamilton.
Hamilton and Alonso continued fighting closely throughout the season and there was little to separate them. This iconic season culminated with both drivers finishing level on points. But, are these two legendary drivers rivals even today?
Are Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso rivals even today?
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso’s rivalry never reached the intense heights it did during the former’s debut season. In fact, their careers took a very different path. Hamilton won the 2008 title, joined Mercedes in 2013, and went on to win six more championships with the Silver Arrows.
On the other hand, Alonso left McLaren after 2007, spent two seasons at Renault, joined Ferrari, re-joined McLaren, retired briefly in 2018, and then returned to F1 again in 2021. His initial return was with Alpine, but since 2023, he has been driving for Aston Martin.
Alonso’s time at all the mentioned teams was different. One thing, however, was common – his failure to win a world championship.
Now at the twilight of their careers, these two legendary drivers are still hoping to compete for the crown once again. However, even if they do, they likely won’t be facing off against one another because of where their respective teams stand. Hence, it seems safe to say that the best days of the Alonso-Hamilton rivalry are now behind us.
