Long-Time Rival Fernando Alonso Extends Support to Lewis Hamilton in Blaming His Downfall on Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton hasn’t won an F1 race in almost two years and is running out of time to win his eighth world championship. His long-time rival Fernando Alonso, however, feels that Hamilton’s shortcoming is down to Mercedes’ fault. In an interview with a PA news agency, he extended his support to Hamilton and insisted that he will be back with a bang.

Alonso and Hamilton are having very contrasting seasons so far. The former spent the last two years in the midfield, scrambling for points but is finally back to earning podium finishes on a consistent basis. Hamilton, meanwhile, who is used to dominating races, is struggling to finish in the top three. This has been particularly frustrating for the Brit.

Fernando Alonso on Lewis Hamilton! What a move that is! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5egArDvsUW

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 5, 2023

Lewis Hamilton has broken just about every record there is to in F1. Before retiring, he just wants to move clear of Michael Schumacher by becoming the most decorated F1 driver with eight world titles. For this, he needs another championship victory, but as things stand, it won’t be possible at Mercedes.

Alonso, however, feels that his former teammate is still very capable of competing at the highest level.

Fernando Alonso is sure about Lewis Hamilton fighting for his eighth world title

Alonso, who is currently P2 in the drivers’ championship standings spoke about Hamilton’s future ahead of the Spanish GP race weekend. The Oviedo-born driver is sure that Hamilton will compete for his eighth title very soon. He didn’t give an exact timeframe for the same but stands by what he said.

He did praise Mercedes for being a strong team but also blamed them for making a weak car this year. On the other hand, Hamilton’s consistency behind the wheel of a car as weak as the W14 was lauded by Alonso.

“Lewis will be in contention for the eighth title,” said Alonso. “I don’t know if that will be next year, or in the future, but he will have another chance of winning the championship, that is for sure.”

“The Mercedes car is not an easy one to drive and it is not a fast car, but you see every weekend that Lewis is always there – fourth, fifth, fourth, and he was second in Australia. He is driving on top of the car.”

Is Hamilton’s future F1 dreams aligned with Mercedes?

Hamilton’s current contract with Mercedes runs out at the end of the 2023 season. Team boss Toto Wolff claims that they are close to agreeing to a deal which was seconded by Hamilton. Regardless, every week, new rumors surrounding his apparent departure keep coming up.

Multiple sources including Business F1 claim that Hamilton is frustrated at Mercedes. He will be looking to leave the Brackley-based outfit if he has a place to go to. So far, the only team that has shown interest in signing the 38-year-old is Ferrari, which has always been the Brit’s dream.

#F1: It’s been reported that Lewis Hamilton’s contract extension will rely a lot on Mercedes’ level of performance and competitiveness, so there is still some time before any serious discussions begin.

— deni (@fiagirly) January 19, 2023

Nevertheless, a move to Italy seems unlikely for Hamilton. Even though rumors about unrest are strong, Hamilton himself publicly stated that his contract negotiations are almost finalized.