Alonso: Hamilton collision was the same as his clash with Rosberg in 2014

2022 Belgian Grand Prix

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Fernando Alonso said Lewis Hamilton turned in on him as if he was not on the track when the pair collided on the first lap of the Belgian Grand Prix.

They made contact as they went into Les Combes. Hamilton was on the outside of the Alpine driver, and retired due to damage sustained in the collision. Alonso went on to finish sixth.

“I think he thought that I was not there anymore,” said Alonso in response to a question from RaceFans. “So I don’t think that it’s a mistake – it’s just in the heat of the moment you try to take the slipstream, brake late, turn in and sometimes you don’t measure the cars completely, where everybody is. But I don’t know. I normally take more care.”

While the stewards did not penalise Hamilton for the collision, ruling it a racing incident, he took responsibility for it. Alonso agreed “it was a little bit of a mistake from his side to close the door like this.”

He compared the collision to Hamilton’s tangle with Nico Rosberg at the same corner in 2014, when the pair were team mates.

“At turn five, we see many, many times here that it goes parallel,” said Alonso. “It happened the same to him [with] Rosberg a couple of years ago. So this time it was the same thing.”

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However Alonso agreed with the stewards’ decision not to penalise Hamilton. “I think it was a first lap incident,” he said. “These things happens, in that corner especially there are a lot of things that are going on. People normally cut the corner in six and rejoin the track in seven.

“So it’s a tricky part of the of the circuit for sure. It was a racing incident, nothing [more] to say.”

He was frustrated by the impact the collision had on his race. “I’m just sad because when I start P2 or P3, always these things happen, and when I’m 12th or 13th, I have a clean race. So I wanted to have a normal race. And unfortunately we started already with that incident.

“Then we have a very aggressive strategy, stopping very early every time that I don’t think that it was the smartest one. But at the end, top five, it makes a good weekend for us. With Charles’ penalty, fifth and seventh is a great result for the team. So it was a bad weekend for McLaren and we maximised those points.”

Alonso fumed at Hamilton on the radio following the collision, calling his rival an “idiot” who “only knows how to drive starting first.” He said he was “very disappointed” at the time.

“As I said, when I start well, on the first row, the second row, all these things happens. For sure, I was frustrated in that moment. But he accepted his mistake and it is welcome.”

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2022 Belgian Grand Prix

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Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...
Claire Cottingham
Claire has worked in motorsport for much of her career, covering a broad mix of championships including Formula One, Formula E, the BTCC, British...

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34 comments on “Alonso: Hamilton collision was the same as his clash with Rosberg in 2014”

  1. No, very different… not even vaguely similar. Hamilton was on the inside in 2014, clearly ahead and with the high ground, and Rosberg just dangled his nose in from the outside, further into the chicane. Rosberg’s fault.

    This one with Alonso, Hamilton turned in from the outside and pinched Alonso on the apex, not leaving enough space. Hamilton’s fault.

    1. Yeah, clearly Lewis’ fault, no question. But Alonso should have had a bit more respect. What he said on the radio was untrue and an opportunistic dig at Hamilton. He acts as if he’s the God of F1. Still having issues digesting the fact that Hamilton is a 7-time WC, Vettel 4- time WC, and Max will soon become 2-time WC and possibly more, while Alonso will remain in history as the “best driver” who’s never managed more than 2 WC titles.

      1. Hey, you forgot ascari and clark! And I consider alonso one of the best drivers, but people tend to forget some old drivers when it comes to the best drivers ever!

    2. Hamilton was very clear in his mid race interview, this was totally his fault. He didn’t even what to hear what Alonso had said over the radio about the incident..

    3. @neilosjames https //www youtube com/watch?v=bgFlOQ4DvcQ
      Why don’t you watch the video and judge what and how FA said anything? 🙄

      Also Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham, the title of this article is misleading on purpose or the two of you don’t understand English…

      1. THIS. The headline is the problem here. And 99% of the people who comment here did not read the article or watch the video interview. Fix it Keith because its misleading

    4. @neilosjames Well pointed out. Alonso seems to have backtracked from his initial comment, I thought the first part was understandable, the second part (on Hamilton only being used to the front) much less so. But in so doing he’s made a comparison that doesn’t really apply. Hamilton was at fault today, even if it was judged a racing incident, Rosberg was very definitely at fault in the earlier Spa incident and, in fact, the question was how deliberate (or deliberately careless) it might have been given their rivalry at the time.

      1. If you actually wstchthe video interview he’s not making a comparison between the incidents. He’s using it as an example merely to say that these incidents happen at this corner and its just another one that happened today, nothing special. He’s not comparing the incidents at all and who was at fault. That’s not the point of what he’s saying.

        1. *Watch the

  2. Really, Alonso? Because Rosberg admitted he was trying to make a point after being snubbed by the team and Hamilton in Hungary.

    So what were you angry about then?

    1. https //www youtube com/watch?v=bgFlOQ4DvcQ
      Why don’t you watch the video and judge what and how FA said anything.
      This article is misleading on purpose to stir $hlt!

  3. Alonso must hate Hamilton’s guts so much to bring back an incident from EIGHT FRICKING YEARS ago to make his point.
    And Rsoberg was at fault at that one, he wasn’t even half alongside and forced his way through anyway.

    1. I doubt its memory, more likely evidence of Alonso doing his homework, and a testiment to his preparedness for each race.

      They must have a database of previous races to call on..

    2. This article must be misleading on purpose, there is no other explanation!
      Why don’t you watch the video and judge what and how FA said anything.
      https //www youtube com/watch?v=bgFlOQ4DvcQ

  4. Totally dissimilar incidents.

    1. Nobody is buying into your smearing campaign, Fernando. Show some dignity.

    2. Alonso is just an old guy past his prime looking to start trouble.
      Lewis’ response is masterclass again.

  5. I may be misreading this, but I think what Alonso meant is that ambitious overtakes around the outside of les combes don’t always work for the guy on the outside – in both this case and Rosberg/Hamilton 2014 one car squeezed another into the inside of the corner, and paid the price. In this case it was Hamilton, in that one it was Rosberg.

    Alonso’s earlier comments were a little spiteful, yes, but they were said in the heat of the moment and Alonso admits he was just really frustrated. Here he softens his stance a little and calls it more of a racing incident. Fair comments from him I think.

    1. respect goes a long way. however, alonso shown so much disrespect and disgraceful driving/defending towards ham, i dont think ham has any need/respect left to listen what this old man has to say. alo is clearly living the 2007, and ham is clearly living rent free in his head. whatever alo doing, and most of past max verstappen is the same. alo was clearly overtaken but since he remembers 2014, he knew what to do in that corner. max always drive the same whether he is behind or ahead!

      ham misjudged not the corner, but alo’s behaviour. he owns the mistake and leaves at it. alo, not so much, mark my word, alo will drive even more aggressive after this against ham! 2009/2010 ham/mas situation.

      1. Nah dude ur living in 2007.go watch the interview. He’s siding w Hamilton and just saying that these things happen. And the frustration in the heat of the moment was because when he’s so high up the field something goes wrong. U are the toxic one

  6. BLS (@brightlampshade)
    28th August 2022, 17:56

    Sounds like Alonso still has ill feelings about Hamilton for derailing his career back in 2007. Bit harsh, the then rookie didn’t exactly do much wrong other than be fast.

    1. And you + others are derailing from the subject! ALO is right, HAM messed up big time. Although older, ALO looks like the better racer than HAM at the moment.

      1. BLS (@brightlampshade)
        28th August 2022, 20:51

        Yes, Hamilton admitted the accident was on him, his reaction alone was telling enough. Just as Alonso’s reaction was telling of feelings he clearly has buried deep within!

      2. ALO’s ego doesn’t match his accolades. You say he is driving better, but Aloine couldn’t decide if he or an unproven Oscar, albeit the current F2 champion, was the better move. Then he runs to Aston at the first opportunity because his honeymoon with Alpine is over? Who is currently threatening Lewis’ seat?

  7. Alonso lol. What a joke. To hold a grudge for soo many years just because a rookie beat you. And to be soo jealous of Lewis to make a statement about his driving. Im sure we all remember the over taking prowers of lewis back in the mclaren days. Famously being the last of the late brakers etc. Alonso needs to grow up being the oldest acts soo childish.

  8. Well some posters are criticizing Alonso for his tirade but I think part of it is just to soften the criticism leveled at Lewis.
    I don’t understand what he was thinking. I don’t buy his reason of not knowing Alonso was there. I think he expected Alonso to back off and I’m sure if it would have been in the right part of the track he would’ve but obviously not there.
    And he wouldn’t admit it was his fault until he got back to the paddock and watched the replay. I don’t get it. It was obviously his fault and he knew it or he should have known it.
    Quite frankly I’m sure Hamilton was glad that ALO made that statement so he wouldn’t have to apologize in person. He only admitted it was his mistake because it was so obvious. Toto even admitted it.
    Hamilton has said derogatory things about ALO in the past. They do not and never will.

  9. This is all puzzling from Alonso. He really seems to be obsessed with Hamilton. Not only his radio outburst but his comments about Rosberg’s crash seem totally irrelevant. Such disrespect will not make him more popular among rational fans.

  10. Alonso called Hamilton an idiot for making a move that was foolish. The same response would have came out of every other driver on the grid including Hamilton. It’s common to say that. The rest of Alonso’s operst was spoken figuratively, not literally unless you are a Hamilton fan trying to cover for him.
    Hamilton didn’t admit it was his fault until it was very obvious it was his fault. He would never apologize to Alonso – he’s just playing the victim again.
    He will make a good actor for sure.

  11. Funny when people judged Max trying overtakes and incidentally getting it wrong they started using Crashtappen and things like that. Max showed how it’s done, avoiding contact and patiently picking off competitors without losing huge amounts of time.

    This year Hamilton doesn’t have a superior car, not even the 2nd fastest but now we see mistakes from someone trying too hard… Just like Max until last year.
    I Guess Crashmilton is in order? (Not really just making the point about people’s unfairness towards Max)

    1. It wasn’t unfair to Max though. Although he’s much improved now I think you’re forgetting he was known for crashing a lot (especially until mid 2018) and for often driving in an unsportsmanlike or dangerous fashion.

      Even forgetting 2021 and his battles with Hamilton, he was also criticised by drivers like Vettel and Raikkonen in the past.

  12. Lol this comments thread neither read the article nor watched the video. Everyone hear but alonso is living in 2007

    1. *here

  13. Hamilton “only knows how to drive starting first.” according to Fernando.

    Alonso – 32 wins from any position, including his ‘win’ in Singapore.

    Hamilton – 42 wins from behind behind pole position, 103 in total.

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