Fernando Alonso says Lewis Hamilton was “lucky” during Mercedes heyday - “Valtteri Bottas could have five titles”
Hamilton won six of his seven F1 championships durဣing an era of Mercedes excellence, but is now exp𝄹eriencing a car which cannot compete with the Red Bulls.
Sergio Perez won the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix ahead of teammate Max Verstappen, while Hamilton was sixth and even Aston Martin’s Alonso - the star of the opening rounds - missed the podium by one plac♋e.
Alonso told about 🌳Hamilton: “I have a lot of respect for him. After all, we have coincided little in our careers in the same place.
“Maybe this year we find ourselves rac𒅌ing together and with similar cars, in this part of the year.
“In Australia we were in a margin of two seconds the whole race and it was a very close fight.&nbജsp;
“But yes, I still 🐻think he is one of the best in history, but at the same ti🏅me he has been lucky or to have known how to be in a dominant car for many years.
“And when that happens, Michael 💖Schumacher won seven titles, Lewis also seven, Ve🦂rstappen is on his way to third, I won two.
“To be champion you need the best car.”
Alonso was asked w🌺hat might have happened to the F1 title if Mercedes had not been so dominant.
“Another one for us and for a🍌ll the drivers,” he said.&n♐bsp;
“I൲f he had had any problems at Mercedes in those years, Bottas could have five titles. This is how it 🍃works.”
Alonso was 🅘Hamilton’s teammate during the young and talented Brit’s first-ever F💙1 season.
They 🌊finishꦓed level on points, behind only champion Kimi Raikkonen.
Alonso𒊎 went on to claim his two championships with Renau🐼lt but endured a barren spell at Ferrari.
Today, Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid (4ﷺ1) ahead of Hamilton (38) but has been reinvigorated by Aston Martin’s ascent.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything f💫rom American sports, to footba𒀰ll, to F1.
