Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso are two of the greats of the Formula 1 world. However, the two legends share a complex relationship on and off the track. Since 2007, Hamilton and Alonso have had fierce rivalries. Additionally, Alonso has acknowledged that the likelihood of them getting along is slim, given the intense and competitive nature of F1.
Recently, Alonso demanded strict action against the Briton after his Miami GP crash. Meanwhile, Hamilton, during an interview, took a subtle dig at the Spaniard, remarking that his victories are a rare occurrence. Altogether, the two are archrivals, never leaving a chance to take verbal jabs at each other. The fresh instance of this episode comes from the inland Caspian Sea during the first FP session.
“No Surprise,” Alonso Ruins Hamilton’s Slipstream Plan
The Alonso-Hamilton rivalry took a new turn most unexpectedly. During the FP1 session in Baku, the seven-time world champion tried to play smartly by getting a ‘tow’ from his archrival. Hamilton was trying to get a slipstream behind Alonso’s vehicle. However, the Spaniard took off in a jiffy, not allowing Hamilton to take advantage. It was followed by a brief radio chatter between Hamilton and his team. The Briton lamented, “Of Course, Alonso is on another lap,” after Alonso pressed the pedals to complete another lap. The race engineer Peter Bonnignton replied “Yeah, Alonso was fast, double-cool, fast, then kept pushing sector one by the looks of it.” Further, Toto Wolff also joined the conversation, saying, “No Surprise,” as they saw Alonso ruining Hailton’s plan.
The entire chatter was about a simple phenomenon called “slipstream.” It is an aerodynamic concept in F1, where a car closely follows the tail of another car. The air resistance behind a car is less; thus, it provides an additional benefit by replicating the ‘tow’ effect. The leading car creates a low-pressure area, moving quickly through the air. This small pocket is called a “wake.” AN F1 car in the wake area will experience less drag, allowing it to move faster while limiting energy consumption. It is a strategic move on the straights to create an overtaking maneuver. However, Alonso was not in the mood to assist Hamilton in this case. Thus, he took off at the right moment.
Max Verstappen Sets The Time In Red Flag Interrupted FP
The FP1 session witnessed two wall entries- William’s Franco Collapinto and the Mona winner Charles Leclerc. Thus, the session was interrupted by three red flags, which didn’t stop Max Verstappen from setting the time in FP1.
He was followed by Lewis Hamilton, who prevented a Red Bull 1-2. Thus, Sergio Perez had to settle for P3 ahead of the McLaren pair, who bagged P4 and P6. The highlight of the session was Leclerc’s crash. He generated excessive momentum on the corners, slamming into the walls.
