Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has stirred significant excitement and speculation within the F1 community. Alonso, who once battled Hamilton for the 2007 championship as McLaren teammates, admitted he was out of the loop when the news broke due to his training schedule.
“I was training actually that day so I missed all the stress from everybody so I was one day late on the news,” Alonso, a two-time world champion, shared.
His reaction to Hamilton’s switch was one of disbelief, not because Hamilton decided to change teams, but because of his perceived loyalty to Mercedes. “Probably it was a surprise, I will not lie. But not because of the change itself, it’s just because from the outside it seemed he was very linked to Mercedes and very loyal to them. It was a little bit unexpected but I don’t know the reason behind it.
“I don’t know anything, so it’s more a question for him. I didn’t pay too much attention or spend much time thinking about it.”
Hamilton who has experienced a winless streak over the past two seasons with Mercedes, has referred to his upcoming stint with Ferrari as fulfilling a “childhood dream.”
Alonso humorously remarked on this statement, questioning its timing: “It was not his childhood dream 12 months ago, no? Or two months ago I guess, because it was a different dream then.”
Nonetheless, Alonso acknowledged the potential impact Hamilton’s move could have on Ferrari, suggesting that Hamilton’s presence might propel the team to championship contention. “I hope he enjoys the experience, I think it’s a very special team. It is more special when you win,” he said, emphasizing the importance of victory.
“That’s the thing – you need to win. It’s a few years already that they have a very fast car and they were fighting for big things and maybe Lewis can bring that extra to fight for the championship.”
Alonso concluded by noting Ferrari’s competitive performance, even against a dominant Red Bull, highlighting the team’s ability to challenge for wins. “Because I think, as I said, I think the car is there. At the end of last year even with a very dominant Red Bull car, Ferrari was still able to match the lap times and be faster than them in most of the qualifying. So I think the car should be fast enough.”
