F1 saw one of its most dynamic intra-team rivalries in the year 2007. It was in the garages of McLaren, between defending double world champion Fernando Alonso and F1 rookie Lewis Hamilton. Even the experienced head of Ron Dennis had difficulty maintaining the rivalry between the two.
McLaren chaos in 2007
McLaren as a team would like to forget the 2007 season. They had two of the best drivers on the grid. They were comfortably placed to win the constructor’s championship. However, the ‘Spygate’ scandal rocked their constructor’s hopes because they were disqualified.
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And in the driver’s world championship, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen beat them both to the title at the final race in Brazil. Ron Dennis often lost his cool as the two drivers stumbled over each other instead of working as a team.
That teammate rivalry is the stuff of legends and is something fans still reference and argue about to this day. Just recently, Lando Norris poked fun at it in one of his post-race press conferences. Some people think Fernando Alonso got better treatment by being the incumbent world champion. Some people think Lewis Hamilton got better treatment by being involved with the team for longer.
Alonso’s Inadequacy
Gerry Convy is a former McLaren trainer. Looking back at 2007, he says that Fernando Alonso was a bad team player. He specifically mentions a teambuilding session McLaren held in Finland. Lewis Hamilton attended the camp, while Fernando Alonso did not. According to Convy, that incident itself set the precedent for the rest of the season.
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Both Drivers have since matured
Both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have cemented their position as F1 legends. While they aren’t the best of friends, their mutual respect and admiration is clear. This year, in an interview, the Spaniard remarked how their rivalry was fueled by bad management. Lewis Hamilton seems to concur, which casts doubt over the skills of Ron Dennis and McLaren.
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