Alonso reveals moment he KNEW McLaren 'dream team' with Hamilton was over

The Spaniard opened up on the end of his first stint with the Woking team

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Wednesday 19 April 2023 13:57 Updated: 09:57

Fernando Alonso has revealed why he quit that McLaren 'dream team' pairing with Lewis Hamilton back in 2007.

Sixteen years ago Hamilton was an F1 rookie while Alonso was a double world champion after a glittering reign at Renault. Together they were expected to take the sport by storm.

Instead that 2007 campaign was a difficult one for both men, who each missed out on the Drivers' championship by a single point behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

Article continues under video

The 41-year-old veteran of the grid Alonso spoke recently about that season he spent alongside Hamilton, and why his initial spell at McLaren was a short one. Spoiler alert - he does not believe the blame lies with either man.

Alonso on Hamilton and McLaren

He told the Daily Mail: "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.

"I couldn’t continue with McLaren. It was a team with eyes totally one side of the garage."

The moment Alonso knew he had to move

As for the exact moment Alonso knew he needed a change of team, that came towards the tail end of that season.

"As Ron (Dennis) 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."