WATCH: When Fernando Alonso sabotaged Lewis Hamilton by blocking him in the Hungarian GP pitlane in 2007

Fernando Alonso used a cheeky tactic to sabotage Lewis Hamilton's qualifying session at the 2007 Hungarian GP.

WATCH: When Fernando Alonso sabotaged Lewis Hamilton by blocking him in the Hungarian GP pitlane in 2007

Fernando Alonso blocks Lewis Hamilton during 2007 Hungarian GP Qualifying (via SkySportsF1).

Fernando Alonso is the oldest driver on the F1 grid currently and has been in the sport for the longest time. The Spanish veteran is now loved all around the F1 grid. However, this wasn’t always the case. The two-time champion was involved in an incident with Lewis Hamilton at the Hungarian GP way back in 2007.

The two McLaren drivers were contending for the world championship in that season. However, during the Hungarian GP, Alonso and Hamilton both were in the final qualifying session. Both drivers aimed to take pole position to gain an edge over each other. But, Alonso had a sneaky tactic under his sleeve which might not have been in the best interest of Lewis Hamilton.

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Fernando Alonso was ahead of Lewis Hamilton and pitted to change tires for a last hot lap on the track. The team asked Lewis Hamilton to pit after Alonso for a similar strategy. In spite of the team aiming at a great qualifying result, Alonso held out on the pit square for much longer than required, essentially blocking his teammate.

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This strategy led to Hamilton losing just enough time to miss out on a final hot lap. This sabotaged Hamilton’s attempt for pole position and angered the team principal Ron Dennis. Dennis almost lashed out at Fernando Alonso’s physiotherapist Fabrizio Borra. Finally, this allowed the Spaniard to get ahead of his rookie teammate for the starting position in Sunday’s race.

This incident soured Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton’s relationship

Despite Dennis defending Alonso after the incident, not everyone on the grid saw him as the most righteous person. The incident soured both the driver’s relationship and they had to do something about it soon. Tensions continued to rise between the Spanish driver and the British team. Ultimately, Fernando Alonso went on to leave the team in the subsequent season due to the backlash and rejoined Renault in 2008.

Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in McLaren.
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in McLaren (via SkySportsF1).

The 2007 championship wasn’t won by either of the McLaren drivers and hence this race might have been the cause for that. However, after Alonso left the team, Hamilton went on to race for McLaren for another five years where he won the world championship in the same season that Alonso left the team.

However, the incident is way back in history and both the drivers have gained a lot of experience and maturity since then. Although both the drivers still have the same passion for winning races, both haven’t hit heads with each other on any recent occasion.

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