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“With Button and Rosberg He Struggled”- Fernando Alonso Skeptical of Lewis Hamilton’s Success

Published 09/27/2020, 5:20 AM EDT

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via Reuters

Probably the greatest driver of his generation, the six-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, is showing no signs of slowing down. He is on track to record a joint-highest 7th Drivers Championship. And should he win the next set of races this season, it would seal the title for Hamilton.

However, the talk of the Briton’s success almost always begs the question of whether Hamilton would be this dominant without Mercedes. After all, he had been racing with McLaren for six years and could only secure one title in 2008.

Fernando Alonso is of the opinion that the stars aligned quite well for the British powerhouse. In addition, he believes that Hamilton might have struggled had he been partnered by stronger teammates.

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Lewis Hamilton had an ‘unbeatable package’ with Mercedes

Speaking in an interview, Alonso stated, “He was lucky for the unbeatable package he had. He’s very very strong, he’s a superior talent, but he was also in the right place at the right time.

“If he had Verstappen, or Leclerc, or Alonso as a partner, who knows. After all, with Button and Rosberg he also struggled.”

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Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, of course, were partners during their time at McLaren. Hamilton entered as the rookie in demand during the 2007 season. But it would be an understatement to say they endured a rocky relationship.

via Reuters

Both drivers were quite outspoken, and verbal wars frequently ensued. Perhaps that was the reason neither ended up winning the 2007 Drivers’ Title.

Alonso’s comments on ‘stronger teammates’ also make for an interesting read. Jenson Button was Hamilton’s teammate at McLaren in 2011. The former had proven to be the more superior driver that season while Lewis Hamilton finished in a disappointing 5th.

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Similarly, when Hamilton was eyeing a hat-trick of titles in 2016 at Mercedes, Rosberg put an end to those dreams. The German driver was impeccable in his final season in F1, taking the fight to the British driver and battling Hamilton’s title challenge efforts.

Alonso will be looking to go head-to-head against him in 2021

Alonso’s future with the freshly minted Alpine F1 was confirmed this year. True to his nature, Alonso has been trying to stay on top of everything in a bid to make his transition into the team more fluid. Factory visits to get into the grove of how Renault functions have been common.

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USA Today via Reuters

Whether bad blood still exists between the two or not, Alonso will be raring to give Hamilton a tough fight. Although owing to the difference between their machines will make it a little more difficult, ending Hamilton’s dominance in the sport will definitely be on the Spaniard’s bucket list come 2021.

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Written by:

Bhargav Gopal

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Hailing from Bengaluru, Bhargav is an F1 and NASCAR author for EssentiallySports. He is a huge fan of Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing. Bhargav also has an MBA in Sports Management from the Symbiosis School of Sports Sciences, Pune.
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