During the 2007 season of McLaren F1, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton had a difficult relationship as teammates. They frequently had disagreements both on and off the track. As the reigning world champion, Alonso was displeased with the team’s decision to bring on Hamilton, a rookie, as his teammate. Hamilton, on the other hand, was eager to prove himself and fight for the championship.
The tension between the two drivers reached a climax at the Hungarian Grand Prix, when Alonso blocked Hamilton in the pit lane, preventing him from getting back on the track in time to compete for the pole position. This caused the relationship between the two drivers to deteriorate even further.
Alonso accused McLaren of being responsible for 2007 Hungarian GP controversy
In the midst of the qualifying race, both Alonso and his teammate Hamilton decided to head toward the pits to replace their tires. Interestingly, Alonso arrived at the pits ahead of Hamilton but instead of immediately moving off after his tires were replaced, he seemed to delay for a bit. Unfortunately, this delay proved costly for Hamilton as he was left with insufficient time to change his tires and make it out of the pits in time to start another lap.
He had this to say about the incident in an interview:
“On Hungary 2007, nobody wanted to hear my version or the truth,” Alonso said on the BBC Chequered Flag podcast.
“I never held anyone, they just put me on old tyres when it was qualifying.”
“They put me on a penalty on an article that didn’t exist so they gave me the penalty but clarified that it wasn’t against any article.”
“And it was my team putting in a protest against myself, which was the first time in the history of the sport.”
Who was Alonso’s teammate at McLaren?
Fernando Alonso had Lewis Hamilton as his teammate at McLaren during the 2007 season. Hamilton, who was a rookie at the time, quickly established himself as a top driver and challenged Alonso for the championship. Though the two had a fairly competitive relationship that resulted in some clashes, they were also able to work together effectively at times, leading McLaren to finish the season as runners-up in the constructors’ championship.
As of now, both Alonso and Hamilton are still active in Formula One, with Alonso driving for Aston Martin and Hamilton for Mercedes. Both are widely regarded as some of the best drivers in the world and are currently in the running for the championship.
Their rivalry during the 2007 season is one of the most well-known in Formula One history and was a close and intense battle that helped both drivers improve. Despite their past competition, Alonso and Hamilton remain friends and hold a deep respect for each other’s abilities.
