I had to get away from Lewis Hamilton when I was young but I’d love to finish our careers in same team, F1 icon reveals
FERNANDO ALONSO has revealed that he would like to finish his career at the same team as Lewis Hamilton.
The Spaniard partnered the seven-time world champion for one season at McLaren Mercedes in 2007.
Alonso stayed for just one year before returning to Renault after having a feud with Hamilton and team chiefs.
The Brit disobeyed team instructions at the Hungarian Grand Prix 16 years ago and refused to let him past, which led to the veteran blocking his team-mate in the pit lane.
They again clashed last year when the pair collided at the Belgian Grand Prix and the 41-year-old labelled Hamilton “an idiot“.
However, in an interview with the Mail, Alonso seemed keen to put the past behind him.
He said: “It would be nice to end our careers together. I’d love that.
“We had a difficult season. But we respected what the other was doing on track and still do.
“We each consider the other to be a talented driver and one of the toughest competitors we have ever met.
“The situation that season was not well-managed by our bosses. We were young. We were immature. We were many of the things we are not now, and we needed help from the management that we didn’t get.
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“I couldn’t continue with McLaren. It was a team with eyes totally one side of the garage.
“As Ron (Dennis, team principal) said after the penultimate race in China, ‘Our race isn’t with (Ferrari’s Felipe) Massa, it is with Fernando’.
“When your team says that, you cannot continue. But you learn in a career.”
Alonso is currently with Aston Martin, enjoying a good start to the 2023 campaign, finishing third at both races so far this season.
He continued his good form at the Australian Grand Prix, coming fourth in qualifying behind Max Verstappen, George Russell and Hamilton.
Alonso seemingly has no plans to retire anytime soon, saying: “I don’t imagine I will be tired of driving but the demands of travelling across such a long season can be draining.
“But for now, with my experience, I’d like to believe I’m better than ever.”