Fernando Alonso has spilled what he has described as being “the truth” about his spectacular and controversial fallout with Lewis Hamilton at the 2007 F1 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Friction between Alonso and Hamilton came to a head during a dramatic qualifying session for the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix, which set in motion a series of events that ultimately led to the Spaniard’s exit from McLaren following a bust-up with Ron Dennis.
The two-time world champion was penalised for blocking his rookie teammate’s car in the pit lane, preventing Hamilton from completing a final attempt to claim pole position. Alonso went on to take pole but was handed a five-place grid drop, promoting Hamilton onto pole for the grand prix.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Alonso has claimed that McLaren put him on old tyres and even reported him to the stewards, while he suggested that a secret team radio transcript holds further details that never came to light.
"No-one heard my version, or the truth, or the facts,” Alonso said. "I said that I never hold anyone. They just gave me old tyres when it was qualifying.
""So there is the radio transcript, the decision from the stewards, where it is written that they put me a penalty on an article that didn't exist. They just put the penalty but clarified it was not for any article. And things like that.
"And it was my team putting a protest against myself, which is the first time in the history of the sport. So when you put all these kinds of things and you don't see the facts, obviously it is difficult to clarify some misunderstandings.”
McLaren did not officially protest against Alonso, however it is thought that various senior team members did complain to the FIA about his actions.
Alonso had been irked by Hamilton ignoring repeated requests to let him past during their opening laps of qualifying after the Briton was let out of the garage first - which went against McLaren’s original run plan.
Despite regularly stressing their respect for one another in the years that have followed their very public falling out at McLaren, Alonso and Hamilton’s relationship has remained frosty and been littered by barbed digs.
In the most recent series of Netflix’s Drive To Survive, Alonso said that his F1 character is “on the dark side”.
Expanding on the way he feels perceived in F1, Alonso said: “This is a great show - inside, and off track as well. And you need to play a character, you know? Whatever is assigned to you.
"You need to sell the story, you need to tell which ones are the good ones and the bad ones. In every race, in every discussion, in every polemic, there is always a good power and a bad power, good guys and bad guys.
"And people in general, media or whatever, they put me always on the bad side. Like if I was doing something wrong or whatever.”
He added: "I feel good. I don't mind. The most important part is people still want you and are still interested in how many years you have on your contract because they may get interest in having you driving in the future.
"Whatever is happening on the outside is just part of this circus."
- Lewis Larkam
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