Alonso questions Hamilton's move to Ferrari: "Not his childhood dream"
- Ludo van Denderen
Lewis Hamilton will follow in Fernando Alonso's footsteps in 2025. The seven-time world champion will switch to Ferrari, the Italian team Alonso raced for from 2010 to 2014. Alonso does have an opinion about this remarkable transfer.
Alonso had also heard the news about Hamilton, although with some delay. Alonso was in full training on the day of the announcement, so he "missed all the stress from everybody".
"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, a Ferrari expert
As an experienced expert, Alonso knows exactly how difficult it can be to function within Ferrari with the pressure of an entire nation on his shoulders. Still giving advice to Hamilton? "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."
Asked if Alonso has heard rumours that personnel from Mercedes, Red Bull or even Aston Martin want to switch to Ferrari to work with Hamilton, the Spaniard replied: "I don't know. I have no info and I don't care what Lewis Hamilton is doing."