F1 champion Fernando Alonso sticks boot in Lewis Hamilton rivalry with Max Verstappen Silverstone comments

Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Fernando Alonso sticks boot in Lewis Hamilton rivalry with Max Verstappen Silverstone comments

Lewis Hamilton is a nine-time winner at the circuit

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 7 July 2025 09:57

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has once again fuelled his rivalry with British F1 legend Lewis Hamilton, with some post-qualifying comments at Silverstone.

Hamilton and Alonso have always held a respectful but fierce rivalry, ever since their time spent as team-mates at McLaren in 2007.

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While neither are competing for world championships anymore, regular comments from one or the other suggest that their rivalry is still there even as both drivers have entered their 40s, and now Alonso may just have poked the bear once more at the home of Hamilton.

Following a qualifying session in which Max Verstappen claimed pole and ruined a dream scenario for the likes of Hamilton, Lando Norris and George Russell at their home race, Alonso suggested that the Dutchman is 'the best'.

"He is simply the best, right?," Alonso told media after qualifying. "When he has a car similar to the others, you know he's going to be on pole."

Alonso then referenced Hamilton's stellar record at the Silverstone track, where he has claimed an F1 record nine British GP wins, saying of Verstappen: "He hasn't won here as many times as Hamilton, but I think he's the best."

Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are the only remaining world champions on the grid

Where did Hamilton and Alonso's rivalry come from?

When Alonso joined McLaren in a blockbuster move back in 2007, he had just claimed two consecutive world championship titles, and was the hottest prospect in the sport following the retirement of Michael Schumacher.

Enter Hamilton, a 22-year-old rookie looking to make an impression at the most iconic British team on the grid.

As Hamilton's rookie season blossomed into an unexpected championship challenge, Alonso became frustrated that he was not being given first driver status as a two-time world champion.

The pair were embroiled in a thrilling championship race, which was eventually won by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, but a number of words were exchanged between the duo throughout the year, and the 'spygate' saga did not help either.

Alonso left the team after just one season, rejoining Renault for 2008, while Hamilton would go on to become a McLaren legend, winning the 2008 championship and claiming 21 race victories with the team.

Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton McLaren Fernando Alonso Silverstone British Grand Prix