Alonso: Hamilton was never invincible

Alpine Alps driver Fernando Alonso said Lewis Hamilton was never invincible and he was delighted to see Max Verstappen end Mercedes' tedious domination of F1.

This year, Hamilton is facing the challenge of his first off-team rival in eight years, winning six times over his teammates in the first seven years, with the only exception being a loss to teammate Nico Rosberg in 2016. Today, Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen has the upper hand, and after the Styrian Grand Prix, his lead over Hamilton extends to 18 points.

Alonso said: "Actually, very good. After years of monotonous domination by Mercedes, having two formidable rivals is a good thing for the sport. It's a little more stressful for them, and it's a little more fun for those who aren't in it. ”

To the fact that Hamilton was no longer invincible, Alonso replied, "He never was." He used to just have to beat his teammates, now he has to beat another car that is sometimes faster and sometimes a little slower. They are both at a high level and verstappen will still do something extraordinary to fight with when Mercedes is slightly better at the race weekend; hamilton will unexpectedly remain on the front line of the competition when Red Bull is a little better. They all improved their level of competition, which was fun. ”

Speaking about his podium prospects, Alpine's predecessor Renault for the 2020 season, said: "Now, we need a very big luck, if it comes, it's good, but usually it doesn't come. Renault's podium last year was an encouragement to everyone in the team, but at the time, Red Bull Racing had only one high-level driver, while Ferrari was only sixth in the team's rankings. The situation in 2021 is different, Red Bull has two high-level drivers, Ferrari are strong again, and it will be much more difficult to get the podium this year. ”