Fernando Alonso is puzzled as to why things are not yet working out for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, but for him, the Briton remains an outstanding Formula 1 driver
Things are still not going well for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari. Neither Ferrari nor Hamilton himself have been able to live up to the high expectations following the seven-time world champion’s high-profile move, and the reasons for this remain a mystery. Although teammate Charles Leclerc is also nowhere near victory, Hamilton has clearly had the upper hand so far.
From Hamilton’s perspective, the qualifying duels stand at 2:7, and the Brit has only finished ahead of Leclerc once in the Grands Prix so far. Can this really be explained by a lack of time to settle in?
Fernando Alonso, who himself did not achieve the success he had hoped for with Ferrari, sees no difference from last year, when George Russell mostly had the upper hand. “It was just a Mercedes that seemed difficult to drive. And Russell got on a little better. Maybe it’s the same this year,” the Spaniard judges.
“But without knowing the whole picture, it’s hard to form an opinion,” he emphasizes, underlining that Hamilton is still “an outstanding driver.” “Especially on tracks like here in Canada, he can play to all his strengths,” says Alonso. “He’s struggling at the moment. But I think he can handle the situation pretty well.”
Russell: Are Hamilton and Ferrari asking too much?
Hamilton’s former teammate Russell also can’t really explain why things aren’t going so well for him at Ferrari. However, he has a guess: “I think when you’re a seven-time world champion, anything less than a win is a failure,” he says.
“And then you push yourself and the team beyond the limit to achieve more than is actually possible in order to get those great results. And that can be counterproductive in some circumstances,” said the Brit.
He knows from his own experience how strong Hamilton can still be even at an advanced age. “When he was in top form, he was a real opponent for me and drove fantastically,” he praises, highlighting his victory at his home race in Silverstone in particular. And the victory in the sprint in China showed that it is possible.
“But for all of us – except when you’re sitting in the orange car – the chances of winning are slim at the moment. And that’s frustrating for all of us,” adds Russell.
Alonso surprised by McLaren’s solo effort
There’s no getting past McLaren at the moment. On his best days, Max Verstappen is the only one who has been able to stand up to McLaren so far this season. But the fact that, at the end of a rule cycle, there is one team that is so far ahead of all the others is surprising – even for Alonso.
“I actually expected a very close fight,” says the Spaniard. The rest of the field is as close together as you would expect at the end of a rule cycle – only McLaren is currently standing out a bit. “Maybe I’m surprised about that,” he admits.
But he also says: “The championship is long. We’ve seen in the last two years that it’s not guaranteed that the same team will dominate in the second half of the season. McLaren will dominate in the first half. The second half – we’ll see. But one thing is certain: they are currently the benchmark for everyone.“
Alonso: Attention on rear teams ”artificial”
McLaren, Red Bull and, of course, Ferrari with Lewis Hamilton are currently dominating the Formula 1 headlines. Other teams, such as Alonso’s Aston Martin, are struggling. This has not changed for the veteran driver since his first year in 2001. Even back then, the top teams dominated the media, while the others had to fight for the spotlight.
Today, thanks to the Netflix documentary Drive to Survive, there is at least some focus on other teams, but for Alonso, that doesn’t necessarily deliver what it promises: “I know everyone is getting a bit of attention now. It’s become a little better known. But it’s a very artificial interest,” he says.
“I don’t think there are more than a few drivers who are really well known and recognized everywhere at the airport or on the street. And I don’t think more than two or three teams really get the fans’ attention,” said the Spaniard.
“It’s true that it’s a little more open for everyone now, and everyone is in the news a little more. But the core of the sport is still pretty limited. Only the top teams, the winning teams, the teams on the podium get the deeper attention.”
That’s also the goal of all the other teams: “They have to get on the podium,” Alonso knows. “Because that increases the team’s visibility, the perception of our brand, the sponsors. Everyone wants to win. And when you’re at the back, you get a little bit of attention, but it’s only artificial.”
