Hamilton’s lifestyle separates him from other drivers - Alonso
FERNANDO Alonso says his relationship with Lewis Hamilton is colder than before - claiming the seventimes world champion’s lifestyle separates him from the rest of the Formula One grid.
In an interview with the PA news agency’s Philip Duncan, the Spaniard also predicted Hamilton’s title battle with Max Verstappen will go to the wire in Abu Dhabi.
Alonso, 40, returned to F1 this season with Alpine after a 24-month sabbatical. Alonso won successive championships at Renault in 2005 and 2006 before teaming up with rookie Hamilton at McLaren the following year.
However, Alonso’s time alongside Hamilton lasted just one season following an explosive campaign in which they fought for the title. McLaren were also fined 100milllion US Dollars and disqualified from the constructors’ championship after they were adjudged to have benefitted from secretive Ferrari technical information in the Spygate row.
Speaking about his relationship with Hamilton, Alonso said: “We talked in 2008, 2010 and 2011 and we were closer than ever in those years because we understood that in 2007 we were not very well managed by our bosses.
“Then we were both very young and very competitive and we needed some kind of guidance and we didn’t get it. It was an easy conclusion to make of the 2007 season, and we respected each other a lot and understood each other a lot, too.
“Now we have this respectful relationship, but maybe it is colder than it used to be. We have different opinions on different things. Lewis has a different lifestyle to many of us and that separates us.”
Hamilton and Verstappen will renew their title battle at Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix. Hamilton trails by 14 points following his superb victory in Brazil last weekend.
Verstappen is also facing an investigation after Mercedes called on the stewards to examine footage from the Interlagos race which appears to show the Red Bull driver running Hamilton off the road.
Alonso said: “Everybody loves a real fight, not an artificial fight or one between team-mates. Some races have been strong for Mercedes and some have been strong for Red Bull, but the fight should go on until Abu Dhabi (this season’s final race).”
Alonso will become the grid’s most-capped driver when Kimi Raikkonen hangs up his crash helmet at the end of the year.
Sunday’s race will be the 331st of his career, with Hamilton next on the list - albeit 45 grands prix behind
Alonso is 10th in this season’s standings.