Fernando Alonso saw Lewis Hamilton as his only “threat” during Ferrari days, reveals ex-Maranello man

A former Ferrari team member alleged that Fernando Alonso saw Lewis Hamilton, his most accomplished rival, as his only threat in F1.

Fernando Alonso saw Lewis Hamilton as his only “threat” during Ferrari days, reveals ex-Maranello man

Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton

Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are arch-rivals in F1. The two drivers went head-to-head at McLaren in 2007, and the rivalry continues to this day. Alonso and Hamilton fought it out against one another during the early 2010s when the two were in Ferrari and McLaren, respectively. Recently a former Ferrari team member revealed Fernando only saw the British driver as a challenge.

The former staff opened up about how Alonso would only care about Lewis Hamilton during a Grand Prix. He said, “In my time at Ferrari, Lewis was the only other driver Fernando [Alonso] worried about.” The ex-Ferrari member acknowledged that Alonso did not rule out other drivers in faster cars. He continued, “Yes, other drivers might have been in faster cars, and he’d accept that.”

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Many believe that the two drivers are far from friends

The former Maranello man revealed that Fernando Alonso would only fear the British driver as a challenge as Alonso was well aware of the skills of the 38-year-old. He explained, “But on a Grand Prix weekend, whenever you’d discuss the challenges, it was only ever Hamilton that Fernando referenced as being a threat, solely because of what he could deliver as a driver.”

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Fernando Alonso was fought off-guard by Lewis Hamilton in 2007

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The two had a less-than-ideal relationship as teammates in 2007 at McLaren

Moreover, the ex-Ferrari team member shed light on the fact that Fernando Alonso had matured after this pair’s time as teammates in 2007. Alonso had been caught off guard by an F1 rookie Lewis Hamilton that year as the two drivers fought for the world title. He stated, “I think Fernando has matured since 2007. When, as a team-mate, he’d been shocked that a rookie could be at his level. Be a threat to him immediately and had not reacted well.”

Although, the former staff reckons that this was the time when Fernando Alonso realized the talent of the British driver. Subsequently, Fernando only considered Hamilton as his rival even during the dominant days of Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull. He concluded, “With hindsight, he understood that Hamilton alone stands as something beyond the norm. I got the impression that there was no one else on Fernando’s radar as a rival.”

Thus, it turns out that Fernando Alonso had apparently recognized Lewis Hamilton’s talent way back in 2007. The two-time world champion would always try to strategize, keeping in mind the British driver. The 2023 F1 season comes as a perfect opportunity to see the two F1 veterans battle against each other. As Alonso finally got a car capable of beating Hamilton’s Mercedes.

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