Its the Pits for Alonso and Hamilton
Current F1 champ Fernando Alonso’s relationship with young pretender Lewis Hamilton hit an all time low during the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend.
Their relationship has been strained all season with Hamilton putting the temperamental Spaniard under pressure with a series of 9 straight podium places. However, it plunged to new depths when Alonso delayed exiting the pits on Saturday and by doing so denied Hamilton a chance to complete a final flying lap.
Alonso was subsequently shunted down 5 places on the grid to 6th finishing 4th, while Hamilton clocked up his third victory, increasing his lead to 7 points.
It now appears that the two are not talking - or at least Alonso is not talking to Hamilton, who says he has tried to make amends but will not go out of his way to speak to his team mate.
If they don’t sort their differences soon then Ron Davis may be forced to act. Alonso’s petulance also cost McClaren constructors points this weekend and he won’t allow it to continue.
Whatever happens, you can bank on the fact that come the end of the season Davis will have to choose between his two stars and my money is that he will keep Hamilton having backed him with money and time since he was 10.
Whether or not Alonso is right in his assertion earlier in the season that Hamilton is getting preferential treatment remains to be seen (although my belief is that he has been rattled by the fact that Hamilton is proving to be the better driver in an identical car). Frankly I don’t care if Hamilton is receiving preferential treatment or not, as long as by the end of the season we have a British F1 Champion again!