Sir Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are the oldest racers in the current Formula One. They have been through a journey of highs and lows in their long and intense rivalry. In Hamilton’s rookie season, Alonso was his teammate. The British driver had a memorable debut in F1. He took the motorsport by storm.
Later, in his sophomore season, the Briton won his maiden title. But the Spaniard was in a state of disarray as the rookie tried to steal his thunder. Lately, former Red Bull driver slammed the old horses for their DRS antics in Abu Dhabi. As per Mark Webber, the antics of Alonso and Hamilton were getting close to embarrassing.
Former Red Bull Driver Calls The DRS Antics Of Fernando Alonso And Lewis Hamilton “Embarrassing” And “Dangerous”
In the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso had an exchange before approaching the DRS line. The Spaniard came out of the pit lane in front of the seven-time champion, and then he lifted off the throttle. Eventually, Fernando Alonso moved right toward the wall while approaching Turn 5. Later, Lewis Hamilton accused Fernando Alonso of “Brake-testing” him. Meanwhile, Webber was analyzing the whole thing for Channel 4, and he agreed that it could amount to dangerous driving. But in the channel’s Abu Dhabi GP coverage, Webber mentioned the two drivers have a long history.
And they were getting a bit personal during the DRS activation line antics. Mark Webber believes Fernando Alonso was just trying to manipulate the DRS point. Moreover, the Channel 4 analyst added that when the viewers can see Alonso in the mirror, it is clear that he was looking for a long time. Then he went off the track and started lifting. Webber feels that could have been dangerous as well as embarrassing. Later, in reply to Hamilton’s accusation, Fernando Alonso mentioned, “Nothing” with a smile. Moreover, Alonso added that Hamilton may be clever because he has a lot of experience, but “I’ve more.”
Long Gone Epic Rivalry Between Alonso & Hamilton
Alonso joined McLaren in 2007 after coming from a successful collaboration with Renault. He won a couple of World Championships with Renault. Perhaps it was not a great idea to leave Renault back when he was at the top. However, after the challenge he faced from Lewis Hamilton in McLaren, Alonso did not take much time to move back to Renault. Albeit, it was a better idea for Alonso, Hamilton, on the other hand, established himself as the biggest name in the sport. Later, Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013, and the rest is history. Lewis Hamilton went on to equal Michael Schumacher’s title records.
Moreover, he won more races than the great German. But Fernando Alonso has been looking for his third title for a long time now. However, it seems it is a bit too late for Alonso to look for another title. But the Spaniard is really enjoying his time on the grid. Fernando Alonso did really well in 2023. He finished fourth at the end of the 2023 season. However, Lewis Hamilton is looking to end his losing streak and win his coveted eighth title. Only time will tell how far the old horses can go next season.