4 days Ago By Tanish Chachra
In 2007, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso exhibited that two lions cannot be put in the same cage. The two drivers, very early together at McLaren started to feel tensions between each other, as both vied for the World Championship. The rivalry between a rookie Hamilton and reigning two-time title winner Alonso proved that in F1, your biggest rival is your own teammate.
The aftershocks of their disputes are still evident today, as both drivers remain unwilling to be more than mere acquaintances in the paddock. There is respect today, but there was a time when Alonso didn’t even rate Hamilton. David Coulthard recently revealed how Alonso initially underestimated the Briton when he first came to F1.
Hamilton was a highly exciting talent in 2006, by which time he had already secured a spot in the pinnacle of motorsport. But as far as Alonso was concerned, he was no good. The Spaniard, as per Coulthard, confronted McLaren boss Ron Dennis saying, “You don’t want to win the constructors?” “ He completely underestimated Lewis’s potential.
And anyone who’s seen Lewis from karting through the lower formula knew that he was special,” said Coulthard. The former McLaren and Red Bull driver, however, added that young drivers excelling in the feeder series can be misleading. Therefore, Alonso’s doubts about Hamilton’s caliber were not entirely unfounded, especially when McLaren had a staunch competition in Ferrari for the championship.
In the end, Hamilton prevailed and took all the right steps to surpass Alonso. Hamilton’s GOAT journey began after standing up to Alonso Alonso was the hottest driver in F1 in 2007, having just won two back-to-back F1 Championships with Renault. There was no way anyone could have predicted him finishing level on points with a rookie teammate that season.
The feud between the two drivers was too much to bear. So, McLaren, in the end, decided to part ways with Alonso on mutual consent. This highlighted McLaren’s determination to retain their golden boy, Hamilton, even at the cost of losing the best driver in the world.
In the following season, Hamilton would win his maiden championship. After a few years, he moved to Mercedes in 2013, and the rest is history. The seven-time World Champion is moving to Ferrari after the end of the season.
A move that can once again cement his legacy in the sport, if went successful. But this claim can only be proved correct once the 2025 season starts..
