During the press conference held after the presentation of the new AMR24, Fernando Alonso criticized the words of his rival on the track, Lewis Hamilton, published shortly after the announcement of his future in the red.
The news of the entry into Ferrari of one of his most famous rivals on the track and seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, took Fernando Alonso by surprise, who on the day of the revelation was engaged in training and realized the announcement only the next day. “I missed all the commotion. So I only found out about the news a day later.", declared the Spanish driver. Alonso expressed surprise at the decision of his ex-partner at McLaren, even if he admitted that he hadn't paid much attention to it:
“(It was) probably a surprise, I won't lie. But not for the change itself. It was just because, from the outside, it seemed like he was very attached to Mercedes, very loyal and things like that. It was a little unexpected.”
These, at least, were the statements of the two-time world champion before the launch of the AMR24. However, the driver did not hesitate to comment on the statements made by the seven-time world champion in the days following the official announcement, admitting that racing for Ferrari had been his dream since childhood. Alonso criticized Hamilton's lack of sincerity during the press conference after the launch of the new car at Silverstone, with which he hopes to achieve more victories during 2024.
“It wasn't your childhood dream 12 months ago, was it? Or two months ago, I think. It was a different dream,” was the biting observation of the Aston Martin driver when questioned on the issue and his experience at Ferrari.
Convinced that Hamilton can fight for the title, Alonso underlined that he is convinced there is an excellent project behind the red car. Despite not being brilliant on track last season, the Aston Martin driver noted that Ferrari was the only one able to match the lap time and be faster than the others in most of the qualifying sessions: “Maybe Lewis can give that little bit more to fight for the championship, because the car is there.”
Alonso in Mercedes from 2025?
The inevitable question asked of Fernando Alonso concerns his potential future in Mercedes as George Russell's partner, to which the driver replied that at the moment there have been no contacts with Toto Wolff's team. However, the Spaniard does not rule out any possibility, declaring himself aware of being the only world champion available on the grid to fill the place left vacant by Lewis Hamilton.
“There are only three world champions on the grid, and fast world champions, because in the past maybe there were some champions who weren't so focused on being fast. I'm probably the only one available for 2025, so I'm in a good position.”
Alonso's statements during the press conference at Silverstone.
Yet, for Alonso, Aston Martin would always remain his priority, considering the excellent opportunities and confidence shown last season. His declarations of loyalty to his current team, however, came on the same day he emerged an informal meeting between Flavio Briatore, manager of the Spanish driver, and Toto Wolff, which could further open the door for Fernando and a possible drive in the Brackley team from 2025.
