Hamilton: Alonso will be in "great shape" on F1 return
Lewis Hamilton says he has no doubt Fernando Alonso will be in “great shape” to make his Formula 1 return in 2021.
Renault announced on Wednesday that two-time world champion Alonso would be returning to the team next year, having walked away from F1 at the end of 2018.
Alonso will be 40 by the time he begins his comeback season in F1, provisionally making him the second-oldest driver on the grid behind Kimi Raikkonen, who is yet to confirm his future plans. Hamilton, 35, said the added experience brought by Alonso would be a huge benefit to Renault, even if he is one of the oldest racers on the grid.
"Experience definitely counts," said Hamilton. "Every team is pushing to develop and move forwards and evolve. Experience can help the team move in the right direction. So, that will definitely be a bonus.
"I don't know what it's like to be 40 yet, so I don't know how physically challenging it is. Michael [Schumacher] came here and I think he was physically great at that age. I have no doubt that Fernando can be in great shape.
"The bonus for me is I was the second-oldest and now I'm going back down to third-oldest. So, it's great!"
The arrival of Alonso for 2021 may come at the loss of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who is currently without a seat after being dropped by Ferrari in favour of signing McLaren's Carlos Sainz.
Asked by Motorsport.com how much stronger F1 would be with Alonso and weaker for Vettel's absence, Hamilton said it would be a "shame" not to have both on the grid next year.
"The loss and the gain, I think whatever happens, Formula 1 is going to continue, whether we do or not," Hamilton said.
"They will replace us with somebody. If you look at the drivers that have stepped out over the past years, I don't think Formula 1 has lost anything. I think it has continued to grow in a positive direction.
"If Seb was to stop before his time, I think that would be a shame. I think he's got a lot more to give to the sport and a lot more to achieve.
"It's all about making sure we keep as many top drivers as possible. So we want to keep the world champions, Seb is a world champion, Fernando is a world champion. I think that's only good for the sport."
Share Or Save This Story
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Aston Martin claims Lance Stroll is “unbeatable” at many F1 tracks
What's behind Fernando Alonso's cryptic comments about his F1 future?
How Fernando Alonso scored ninth at Zandvoort - and how Alex Albon lost a similar payday
How Monza revealed the true picture – Max Verstappen responds to FIA's surprising ADUO verdict
Oliver Solberg urges “clever” approach as tyre fears grow for Saturday at WRC Chile
Max Verstappen reveals laid-back approach to 100-driver Silverstone challenge
George Russell shares childhood Silverstone connection and why he rejected bigger grandstand
What we learned from Friday practice at the 2026 F1 Spanish GP
What F1's risky Madrid bet needs to get right in order to pay off
The deeper meaning of Vettel’s emotional Schumacher demo run at Monza
Why new Madrid F1 circuit will be a "challenging" test of cars and engines
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments