Lewis Hamilton claims Ferrari F1 move BLOCKED by Fernando Alonso

Photo: © IMAGO

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton claims Ferrari F1 move BLOCKED by Fernando Alonso

This would have been blockbuster

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson F1 Editor

Motorsport journalist covering F1 since 2024

Friday 11 September 2026 11:57

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Lewis Hamilton turned heads in F1 when he announced his blockbuster move to Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, but were it not for Fernando Alonso he says it might have happened much sooner.

Hamilton is currently one-and-a-half seasons deep at Maranello and now fully embroiled in the sensitive politics which come with working for the Italian team after a scuffle with team-mate Charles Leclerc at Monza.

Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur may think he's got a major headache on his hands with two superstar drivers, but one former Ferrari boss was open to making a signing that would have given him an even bigger one.

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Current F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was in charge at the Scuderia as team principal from 2008 through to 2014, during which time he signed Alonso after his second stint with Renault.

As it turns out, he also explored bringing in Lewis Hamilton as Alonso's team-mate.

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Hamilton: Alonso blocked earlier Ferrari move

That seems unthinkable given how things had gone at McLaren when the pair were team-mates in 2007, but it is fact according to Hamilton.

During that 2007 season, Hamilton was an F1 rookie and Alonso was the defending two-time world champion. However, the Brit would go on to challenge Alonso for wins, points and status within the team - leading to several controversial moments and a toxic atmosphere.

Alonso left McLaren after just one season at the end of that campaign, and Hamilton says he later shut down any possible reunion at Ferrari.

“When Stefano [Domenicali] was here [at Ferrari], I spoke with him a couple of times," Hamilton told Sky Sports ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.

"And back then Fernando [Alonso] had veto rights and was the number one driver, and probably didn't want to be my teammate again.

"The stars never aligned.”

Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were team-mates at McLaren in 2007

Hamilton and Alonso careers went separate ways

Alonso would go on to remain a Ferrari driver until 2014, but by that time Hamilton had already left McLaren and joined Mercedes, where he went on to have huge success and win six further world championships, taking his total tally to seven.

Alonso, on the other hand, returned to McLaren for the 2015 season, but had a dismal time of things during their disastrous Honda era and quit the sport for good at the end of 2018.

The experienced Spaniard returned at Alpine in 2021 after a two-season hiatus and then went on to join Aston Martin in 2023, where his wait for another F1 victory goes on.

Hamilton, as we know, went on to join Ferrari in 2025, currently looking for world title number eight in 2026.