Fernando Alonso says he won’t hesitate to keep Lewis Hamilton till he’s ’80 years old’ if the Spanish driver was an F1 team boss

Alonso spoke on Lewis Hamilton's latest contract extension with Mercedes.

Fernando Alonso says he won’t hesitate to keep Lewis Hamilton till he’s ’80 years old’ if the Spanish driver was an F1 team boss

Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton (image via IMAGO)

Lewis Hamilton has finally signed his long-awaited contract extension with Mercedes. The seven-time world champion will continue racing for the Silver Arrows till 2025. The British driver has made it clear that he is hungry to win in F1 again. Now, Fernando Alonso shared his views on the news of his former teammate’s new contract with the Brackley-based team.

Alonso imagined himself in the shoes of an F1 Team Principal facing the dilemma of either resigning Lewis Hamilton or potentially hiring an exciting young talent. Perhaps the Spanish driver tried to imagine the situation faced by Toto Wolff. However, the two-time world champion believed that he would not think twice before giving an extension to Hamilton.

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The Aston Martin driver claimed that he would keep the seven-time champion on his team till he had passed the age of 80. Or until the time when a driver can prove that they are faster than Lewis Hamilton. Alonso said, “If I were a team boss and had to choose between Hamilton or a promising F2 driver… I’ll keep Hamilton until I’m 80 years old until someone shows me he’s faster than Hamilton.”

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Lewis Hamilton to continue his journey with Mercedes in F1

Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton (image via GPFans)
Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton (image via GPFans)

The British driver joined Mercedes in 2013 after a shock switch from McLaren. Hamilton has never looked back since, with the 38-year-old achieving record-breaking success with the Silver Arrows. This phenomenal pairing has won six Drivers’ championships between 2014 and 2020. Mercedes as a constructor won eight back-to-back titles with Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel.

Certainly, Hamilton is excited to continue racing with Mercedes for two more seasons. The 38-year-old remains adamant about winning his eighth world title after losing the 2021 championship in the controversial Abu Dhabi season finale. Lewis Hamilton‘s new contract is a positive sign for millions of fans who cheer for the seven-time champion every race.

Thus, Fernando Alonso reckons that a team boss would always take the opportunity to sign Lewis Hamilton. The Spanish driver made it clear that if he had to make such a call, he would secure the British driver with his team for the long run. As such, it seems that the two-time world champion respects the talent of the 38-year-old despite their past rivalry in the sport.

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