F1 champion admits Lewis Hamilton forced him out of sport

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Britain, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

Fernando Alonso

F1 champion admits Hamilton forced him out of sport

Fernando Alonso last won an F1 race in 2013 with Ferrari

Parth Jhaveri

Monday 12 August 2024 20:00

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso has opened up on his decision to leave Formula 1 in 2018.

Alonso’s first stint in the sport lasted from 2001 to 2018, in which he raced for Minardi, Renault, McLaren and Ferrari, but things shifted for the hyper-competitive Spaniard when Mercedes’ domination began in 2014, winning the constructors’ championship by almost 300 points.

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That championship win set up an astonishing run which saw Mercedes claim seven consecutive drivers' titles – including six for Lewis Hamilton. Meanwhile, Alonso was at Ferrari in 2014 and switched to McLaren in 2015, but was well off the pace of the dominant leaders.

While his former McLaren team-mate was picking up historic amounts of trophies, Alonso was struggling to even finish in top 10 in an underwhelming car.

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

Fernando Alonso had a second stint at McLaren between 2015-2018

Fernando Alonso was bored of Mercedes dominance

In 2021, Alonso returned to F1 with Alpine and switched to Aston Martin in 2023. Speaking to the Financial Times, the 43-year-old has admitted that he left F1 in 2018 because of Hamilton and Mercedes’ dominance.

He said: “In 2018, when I stopped, I felt that it was just too predictable, the Mercedes domination was too much to really enjoy being part of the grid.

“We were just actors in the movie of Mercedes, not able to fight at any point. I had other challenges in my head with Le Mans and things that were more appealing. So I left.

“But, in 2021, after achieving the World Endurance Championship and Le Mans wins, I felt that there was a bigger challenge; trying to be back in F1 and to succeed again.”

Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Formula 1 McLaren Aston Martin Fernando Alonso