Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton finished behind Max Verstappen in P2 and P3 at the Canadian GP. Before standing on the podium, however, Alonso and Hamilton had to go through 70 laps of racing action, which started with the British driver getting an advantage on the start. This led to Hamilton taking a sly dig at his rival Alonso after the race, which the latter seemed okay with. Former world champion Damon Hill, however, told Express Sport that Hamilton is ‘playing with fire’.
Hamilton got a great start off the line in Montreal, which saw him overtake Alonso. For the first few laps of the race, the Spaniard struggled to retake his P2 spot from Hamilton. However, after a brief safety car period, Alonso managed to find his pace again. This time, after passing Hamilton, he didn’t lose his position again and finished the Canadian GP in second.
Wholesome exchange between Alonso and Hamilton post-GP:
Hamilton: “His reactions are a little slow, it happens with age!”
Alonso: “Austria, two weeks time.”
— formularacers (@formularacers_) June 18, 2023
After the race, however, Hamilton decided to joke about the start by saying that Alonso’s old age was the reason he was able to get a better reaction off the line. Alonso was standing next to Hamilton when he said it, and the Aston Martin driver took it in good spirits by suggesting that he’ll show Hamilton his reactions in Austria (the next venue on the calendar). Damon Hill, however, wasn’t too pleased with what Hamilton had to say.
Damon Hill warns Lewis Hamilton of his own old age
1996 F1 world champion Hill, feels that Hamilton was treading in dangerous territory with his comments on Alonso’s age. The main reason Hill feels provoking Alonso was a mistake is that Hamilton himself is almost as old as the Oviedo-born driver.
“I thought he was playing with fire a little bit with the friendly dig he gave Fernando Alonso about jumping him at the start, saying that it’s because he’s a bit old now,” said Hill. “Because the second oldest guy in Formula One is Lewis Hamilton!”
Hamilton and Alonso are the two oldest drivers in F1 at the moment and also have a wealth of championship-winning experience under their belt. Alonso is 41 years old, whereas at 38, Hamilton was joking about the former’s “old age”. This made Hill concerned about whether Hamilton’s comments will backfire in the future.
Fernando Alonso shows there is life after turning 40
Fernando Alonso is the oldest driver in F1 at the moment. Despite his age, however, he is showing no signs of slowing down- both physically and mentally. At 41, with two world titles already under his belt, Alonso is hungry for more.
Damon Hill feels that Alonso’s mentality is something Hamilton can use as an inspiration. “The good thing is that Fernando shows there’s life after 40. Lewis is probably thinking: ‘Great, I’ve got a few more seasons,'” he added.
This battle was everything.
Old rivals @alo_oficial and @LewisHamilton put on an incredible show on Sunday ⚔️#HungarianGP 🇭🇺 #F1 pic.twitter.com/LGqPXTU1VR
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 1, 2021
In the championship standings, Alonso is currently P3, with 117 points to his name. Hamilton is right behind him with 102 points. With Sergio Perez struggling for form in P2, and Verstappen running away with the championship, both Alonso and Hamilton are eyeing the number two spot, in what could turn out to be a battle for the ages.
