Alonso Says Hamilton Could Make Ferrari F1 World Champions

2-time world champion and arch rival of Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso has revealed that his former team mate could help Ferrari to its first world title in more than a decade and a half. Alonso who is the most experienced driver in F1 history and teammate of Hamilton for year in 2007, when the briton debuted in F1 for McLaren revealed that Ferrari has been the only car that has come close to Red Bull in the last couple of years. He believes the vehicle is there and Hamilton could add the extra bit which could propel them to the elusive championship. 

"Yeah, I don't know. It was not his childhood dream 12 months ago, or two months ago, I guess, because it was a different dream. So nothing really to comment. I hope he enjoys the experience. I think it's a very special team. It is more special when you win and that's the thing. You need to win."

"For a few years already, they have a very fast car and they were fighting for big things. Maybe Lewis can bring that extra to fight for the championship because I think, as I said, the car is there. At the end of last year, even with a very dominating Red Bull car, Ferrari is still able to match the lap time and to be faster than them in most of the qualifying. So I think the car should be fast enough."

Alonso was himself in Ferrari from 2010 to 2014 where he came close to winning the title in the scarlet car in 2010 and 2012 missing out on the world title in the last race of the season twice. His 2012 stint for P2 in an uncompetitive Ferrari is noted as one of the all time great F1 performances by a driver.

Alonso, however, was surprised at the switch by Hamilton and said 12 months ago Ferrari wasn’t his childhood dream. 

“I don't know, probably it was a surprise, but not because of the change itself. It was just because, from the outside, it seemed like he was very linked with Mercedes and very loyal to them and things like that."

Alonso and Hamilton shared an acrimonious relationship at McLaren which resulted in the Spaniard leaving the team within a year. Hamilton soon became a world champion himself and with his move to Mercedes in 2013, he has enjoyed the most successful stint of a driver with team, beating out Michael Schumacher’s stint with Ferrari. 

With Hamilton’s sudden move to Ferrari, Mercedes has a vacant seat for 2025. Alonso also happens to be out of contract with Aston Martin. The Race is reporting that Mercedes want to slot in Andrea Kimi Antonelli, its 17 year old prodigy in that slot as he would have competed in F2 and would have enough super license points to compete in F1. This is something Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff eluded to when he said Hamilton's exit provides an opportunity to do something bold.

But Alonso is also a possibility to fill the spot vacated by Hamilton in case Antonelli is not as option as the plan B. While Alonso has been a divisive figure in the paddock, he is a formidable driver and many rate him as one of the greatest, in the same league as Hamilton and Verstappen. He also shares a great relationship with Mercedes rising star George Russell which could make for a very strong driver combination. 

The problem for Alonso is that age is not on his side — he is going to 43 this year and by the time he reaches Mercedes he will be 44 so any deal with the silver arrows may be a short term deal with Antonelli earmarked as a prodigy of the same ilk as Verstappen who was similarly fast tracked to F1 by Red Bull in F1, despite being in his teens.