Lewis Hamilton posts cryptic tweet after Fernando Alonso’s title comparisons with Max Verstappen
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Updated 30/10/2022 at 14:17 GMT
Lewis Hamilton posted a cryptic response to Fernando Alonso's quotes, which appeared to diminish his and fellow legendary driver Michael Schumacher's achievements. The Spaniard is annoyed at how his comments have been received after the quotes were published in the Dutch media, and bemoaned "the continuous search for headlines".
Lewis Hamilton races a Top Gun fighter plane
Lewis Hamilton took to social media in response to quotes from Fernando Alonso which said that Max Verstappen’s title were worth more than those from his former team-mate.
Alonso and Hamilton were McLaren team-mates for just one year in 2007 and had a notoriously fractious relationship.
The fire was stoked even further following an article by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, where Alonso appears to diminish the achievement of Hamilton’s seven world titles.
"I have a lot of respect for Lewis, but still it is different when you win seven world titles when you only had to fight with your team-mate," he said, in quotes published by Sky Sports.
"Then I think a championship has less value than when you have fewer titles but have had to fight against other drivers with equal or even better material.
"In 2005 and 2006, I had a good start to the year myself and was able to create a lead. Then others might have had a better car, but I was able to manage that gap.
"I never had to fight with my team-mate to win those titles. Nor did I see Max fighting with [Sergio] Perez or [Alex] Albon to win races.
"But Schumacher, in particular, fought with his team-mate to become champion five times in a row and Hamilton fought with Rosberg and [Valtteri] Bottas. That's different, I think."
Verstappen has cruised towards his second F1 drivers’ championship this season with four races to spare following a hugely-controversial finish to the 2021 campaign.
Since the article was published by De Telegraaf, Alonso has now sought to distance himself from those comments.
He blasted the media for "the continuous search for headlines", and claimed that all titles were "amazing."
Alonso said on Twitter: “Please, all the titles are amazing, well deserved and inspiring. Incomparable to each other and let's enjoy champions and legends of our current time.
"Tired of the continuous search for headlines. Let's enjoy them."
Hamilton did not criticise Alonso directly for his comments, but instead posted a picture of himself with the Spaniard from the 2007 season alongside a thumbs-up emoji.
It may have not gone to plan for the 37-year-old this season, but Hamilton still has big plans for F1 and is now focused on bringing more women into the sport.
“I think it will be a multi-year project,” he began. “There’s like this whole thing of retiring, that’s always lingering around. Honestly, I don’t like the idea of it and I don’t feel like I’m near it.
“We have a lot more work to do as a team. As individuals in the team. We have a lot more to do in the sport, I want to be a part of that shifting.”
Hamilton's focus is currently on the Mexican Grand Prix, and is third on the starting grid when the race begins at 8pm UK time.
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