In an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Alonso stated that “It I different when you win seven world titles when you have only had to fight your teammate. I think a championship has less value than when you have fewer titles, but against other drivers you have to contend with equivalent or even better equipment.”
Hamilton responded by tweeting a photo of himself on the top step of the podium at the 2007 Indianapolis and patting the second-placed Alonso on the shoulder, paired with a patronising thumbs-up emoji in a rather plain admonishment of his ex-teammates statement.
In this unprovoked dig, Alonso massively discounted Hamilton’s World Championships, implying that his and Verstappen’s championships hold more merit as they faced more opposition. While this may be true for Alonso’s championships, it is difficult to argue that Verstappen’s 2022 championship was hotly contested as Ferrari’s early pace quickly diminished.
It is also wholly unfair to imply that Hamilton’s championships were uncontested. Of course, the W11’s dominance in 2020 is hard to get past, but one can’t forget the fact that Hamilton’s first championship in 2008 came down to the final lap of the final race, and his championships in 2014, 2015, and 2017 were hotly contested by both Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel.
Alonso’s bitterness towards Hamilton has its roots in the 2007 season
Alonso’s bitterness towards Hamilton has its roots in the 2007 season, in which the rookie Hamilton joined Alonso at McLaren. Alonso was in the hunt for his third consecutive title but was left stunned by Hamilton’s blistering pace, which saw him achieve three wins and seven podium finishes in his first 11 races. The pair came together several times that year, allowing Kimi Raikonnen to win his maiden world and leaving Alonso third in the standings and rueing missed opportunity.
This is not the first time this season that Alonso and Hamilton have clashed. The two came together on the opening lap of the Belgian Grand Prix when Hamilton turned across Alonso at the Les Combes chicane. Alonso immediately lashed out on the radio, saying “What an idiot… this guy only knows how to drive starting first.”