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“Our relationship is colder than it used to be”: Fernando Alonso says he and Lewis Hamilton are not the best of friends outside of an F1 track

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"Our relationship is colder than it used to be": Fernando Alonso says he and Lewis Hamilton are not the best of friends outside of an F1 track

Fernando Alonso recently said that his relationship with former teammate Lewis Hamilton had turned a lot ‘colder’ over the years. 

Hamilton and Alonso were teammates at McLaren during the 2007 season. It was the former’s rookie season, and Alonso was coming off a successful spell with Renault winning 2 Championships in a row. That year was turbulent for the two drivers off the track.

The Briton and the Spaniard shared a lot of problems within the teams. They were generational drivers and were equal in terms of talent. That is evident because both drivers finished just one point behind eventual Champion Kimi Raikkonen.

Later, both Hamilton and Alonso agreed that the situation was not handled well by McLaren.

Fernando Alonso left F1 in 2018 after a second stint with McLaren. However, he returned to the sport in 2021 and is currently driving for Alpine. He recently said that while he and Lewis aren’t really ‘friends’, they share a very professional relationship.

Also read: Charles Leclerc bulldust Fernando Alonso’s words discrediting Lewis Hamilton of his heroics in Brazil

“Lewis has a very different lifestyle and that separates us”, says Fernando Alonso

The 40-year-old driver also said that he is very different to the seven times World Champion in many ways. They don’t see eye to eye in a lot of things. As a result, he does not share an amicable relationship with the Mercedes driver.

“We talked in 2008, 2010 and 2011 and we were closer than ever in those years because we understood that in 2007 we were not very well managed by our bosses,” said the Alpine driver.

“Then we were both very young and very competitive, and we needed some guidance and we didn’t get it. It was an easy conclusion to make of the 2007 season and we respected each other a lot and understood each other a lot too.”
“Now we have this respectful relationship, but maybe it is colder than it used to be. We have different opinions on different things. Lewis has a different lifestyle to many of us and that separates us.”

Alonso feels that career longevity is not one of Hamilton’s strengths

Lewis has won 7 world titles and is currently battling for his 8th with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. At the age of 36, fighting week in week out at the highest level may be considered a feat for some, but Alonso disagrees.

“In Formula 1, you are always motivated,” said Alonso. “If you win the championship, the following year you completely reset, start from zero, and you will never get tired of success. So I don’t think that is a strength for Lewis.

“Lewis has so many strengths but it is not impressive to keep winning. That is quite easy.” he concluded. Alonso is currently 10th in the driver’s standings with 62 points to his name.

Also read: Former F1 World Champion advices Max Verstappen to refrain from trying to intimidate the Mercedes driver

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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