Hamilton: Alonso's decision cost him more titles

Lewis Hamilton says a crucial error of judgement in leaving Ferrari has hampered Fernando Alonso in recent years and admits the Spaniard ought to have won more than two world drivers' titles were it not down to his own poor decision-making.

Alonso will leave Formula 1 at the end of the year, having spent four seasons mired in a miserable McLaren team that has fallen sharply from grace since Hamilton's departure at the end of 2012.

While Hamilton's move to Mercedes proved to be inspired and has banked him four world titles, Alonso's decision to leave Ferrari after a below-par 2014 campaign has come back to haunt him.

The Scuderia have improved vastly and Alonso would have had a potential title-winning car had he stayed until this season – as it is, his best result since 2015 is a clutch of fifth-place finishes.

"I don't regret he didn't go in a better car," Hamilton told Motor Sport Magazine.

"When I am just doing a press conference with him, and people say 'questions to the two world champions', in my mind I know he could have had more world titles but ultimately it's not like he didn't have opportunities.

"He could go almost wherever he wanted to go. And decisions are very key. Decisions as to where you place yourself.

"If you wrongly think you control the driver market – he believed he controlled it, in my understanding – but there is also Seb and me, and as soon as he gave up the position, Seb grabbed it and then it's not like he could go back.

"Then he was like, 'I'll go for Seb's spot,' but then they filled it with Max, and then he was like, 'Oh, shit,' and there was no place for him.

"But I have so much respect for him. He is a phenomenal driver and I think through these years it has not been a bad thing because his respect level has still remained very, very high on how he has driven, how he has conducted himself exploring outside in different realms.

"Look, I could make the decision to leave this team and it could either bode well or go bad for me."

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