On August 4, 2007, in Budapest, Hungary, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, both racing for McLaren Mercedes in the Formula 1 World Championship, engaged in a heated rivalry that could have been avoided with stronger leadership within the team. Alonso, a two-time F1 champion, had joined McLaren from Renault with the expectation that he would outperform his rookie teammate Hamilton. However, Hamilton surprised everyone by securing nine consecutive podium finishes and leading the Drivers’ Championship in his debut season. The tension between the two drivers reached its peak during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, when Alonso deliberately stayed in his pit box to prevent Hamilton from completing his final timed run. Ultimately, both drivers fell just one point short of the championship title that season, allowing Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari to take advantage of their discord. Alonso firmly believes that McLaren’s team principal at the time, Ron Dennis, was responsible for the divide within the team, citing his inability to control the situation. Alonso suggests that had someone like Flavio Briatore or Lawrence Stroll been in charge, the rivalry may not have escalated to such an extent. These individuals, according to Alonso, are respected figures in Formula 1 who have the ability to manage conflicts effectively. In contrast, Alonso believes that in the McLaren of 2007, the drivers had too much control and were not given proper guidance or warnings.
Alonso confesses that both drivers gave priority to their personal battle rather than the team, as they aimed to uncover any slight advantages that could give them an edge over one another.
“When we arrived at the team meeting and analyzed their telemetry, their on-board cameras, we noticed that their car was experiencing understeer, for instance, lacking grip at the front,” he explained. “But during the meeting, he would complain about the rear.”
“Instances like these prevented the team from adopting a unified direction or philosophy in developing the car that would benefit both of us. Instead, each of us pursued our own interests to gain that extra advantage because we were so evenly matched. Many factors disrupted the harmony that year.”
Alonso departed from McLaren after just one season following his alleged involvement in the Spygate scandal, which resulted in the team being fined $100 million and disqualified from the championship for possessing confidential information from Ferrari, their rival.
The Spanish driver, who intends to release a book after retiring, believes that most of what occurred during that season will remain undisclosed to the public.
“I believe that a significant portion of what transpired in 2007 will remain undisclosed because, truthfully, I have even erased many memories,” he admitted.
“To delve into the details, I would have to recollect a lot. It was a challenging year, a year where Hamilton and I were both at fault due to immaturity and a lack of teamwork.”
Since the introduction of the V6 turbo-hybrid engines in 2014, Alonso and Hamilton have rarely crossed paths on the track, as the Briton’s Mercedes team has enjoyed a period of dominance.
While Alonso, now racing for Aston Martin, continues to strive for a third Drivers’ title, Hamilton has become a seven-time champion and holds the record for the most F1 race victories with 103 wins.
However, Mercedes’ decline under the latest ground effect regulations and Aston Martin’s resurgence did witness Alonso prevailing in wheel-to-wheel battles last season.
“I believe that our rivalry has taken on a different form now. I don’t think we will be friends in the future. We don’t share many things. But it is true that in 2007, the rivalry reached its peak,” Alonso declared.
“That was in 2007, but in 2013, we engaged in a game of cat and mouse in Canada, and in Abu Dhabi, the last race of this year as well… And in Bahrain, which was a joyful moment at the start of the year because I had joined Aston Martin, and in the fight for the podium, I had to overtake Hamilton at Turn 10.”
“Every time we pass each other, it brings an additional sense of satisfaction… and pain when you’re the one trailing. And I believe we will continue to experience that, always.”
According to the Source motorsportweek.com