F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Teases Alonso Team Up - "I Would Share A Team Again"
Fernando Alonso has previously expressed his interest to once again be teammates with 7-time champion Lewis Hamilton after their dramatic partnership in McLaren came to an end in 2007. Now, the British driver has admitted that he also would like to be in a team with his Spanish rival.
When Hamilton initiated his F1 journey as a newcomer at McLaren, Alonso found himself sat alongside him. Though it was also Alonso's debut year with the team, he was a seasoned champion having just claimed two successive titles at Renault. He was already a formidable presence on the grid.
Hamilton, however, was unphased, with their first season together seeing them finish tied on points, but not without its fair share of conflict. The repeated clashes, both on the race track and beyond it, led to Alonso's departure after just one year.
Time has worked its magic though, fostering maturity in both racers, and it's fair to say that both wouldn't mind sharing a team once again.
"The situation that season was not well-managed by our bosses" Fernando told the Daily Mail. "We were young. We were immature. We were many of the things we are not now, and we needed help from the management that we didn't get.
"I couldn't continue with McLaren. It was a team with eyes totally one side of the garage. As Ron [Dennis, former McLaren team principal] said after the penultimate race in China, 'Our race isn't with [Felipe] Massa, it's with Fernando'. When your team says that, you cannot continue. But you learn in a career."
He continued:
"It would be nice to end our careers together. I'd love that."
Hamilton, hearing of this quote, responded, albeit pessimistically.
"If the stars align, yes, I would share a team with Fernando Alonso again, but I don't think it will happen," he said simply, according to Dazn.
Both drivers seem happy with their teams currently, with Fernando yet again fighting for podium finishes in the newly refreshed Aston Martin AMR23. Hamilton, despite struggling with his Mercedes W14, is unlikely to move with contract talks currently taking place between himself and team boss Toto Wolff. So while it would be amazing to see the two fight it out in the same machinery, it's highly unlikely.