Fernando Alonso is one of the most decorated drivers of the F1 motorsport and also the first teammate of Lewis Hamilton. When the seven-time champion joined McLaren back in 2007, the Spaniard was his teammate. Although Alonso was the bigger deal back then because he was the reigning two-time champion with Renault. Then, he joined McLaren in 2007 and got a tough fight from the rookie Hamilton. Statistically and even experience-wise, it has been one of the best rookie seasons ever in Formula One.
However, the chemistry between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton was in doubt at that time as well. Perhaps Alonso did not expect the rookie to overshadow him as he was the reigning double-time champion. Maybe that’s why the Spaniard later moved back to Renault and waited for his third world championship. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton has won seven titles, equaling the legend Michael Schumacher. And then came the mighty Red Bull star Max Verstappen, who won has won two championships after Hamilton. Despite that, Fernando Alonso recently snubbed the greatness of the dominant eras of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Why’s that? Keep reading to find out.
Fernando Alonso Feels Both Hamilton And Verstappen Are Nothing But Lucky
Moreover, Alonso believes neither Hamilton nor Verstappen had anything to do with the development of the car’s outfits over the last decade. The Spaniard believes they are just lucky to be part of the best team with the perfect engines, and it helped them win multiple championships. Fernando Alonso gives credit to the regulation changes that helped these teams and drivers gain dominance. In 2014, it was the hybrid engines that made the Mercedes car go faster than everybody else. Similarly, a regulation change back in 2021 helped the Austrian team take over the dominance from Mercedes the next year.
Moreover, Fernando Alonso mentioned that he does not understand the statement when drivers say, “We can build a team around us.” He added that F1 is a sport, and the driver’s comments or personality makes no difference. Instead, the design office inspirations, technical decisions, and regulations make the real difference. Hence, Alonso concludes that Verstappen and Hamilton were just lucky to be on the right team at the right time. Luck, indeed, plays a huge role in any sport.
How Things Changed For Alonso And Hamilton?
Hamilton won his maiden title in his sophomore year with McLaren in 2008. Later, with Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton dominated the grid for eight years. Moreover, Hamilton won six titles with Mercedes so far. On the other hand, Fernando Alonso kept changing teams all these years. He moved to Ferrari, then back to McLaren. Later, for a year or so, the two-time champion also raced for the Alpine team. Then he debuted for Aston Martin in 2023. He joined Aston Martin because he was looking for a multi-year contract.
However, Alpine was only willing to extend his contract one more year. Hence, Aston Martin was a good choice for Alonso, and he replaced the four-time champion, Sebastian Vettel. Moreover, as the oldest driver on the grid at present, Alonso has made a mark. He is giving a good fight to the Mercedes and Ferrari drivers as well as the Red Bull drivers. Currently, Fernando Alonso is the third-place holder behind two Red Bull drivers. Moreover, he is ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and others. On the other hand, the Spaniard’s teammate Lance Stroll is struggling in ninth place.