Ex-McLaren Figure Recalls Hamilton vs. Alonso Saga in ‘Destroy’ Norris, Piastri Warning…

Ex-McLaren Figure Recalls Hamilton vs. Alonso Saga in ‘Destroy’ Norris, Piastri Warning…

As McLaren gears up for another season in Formula 1, the iconic team’s history with its drivers remains a topic of intrigue. A former McLaren figure has reflected on the famous rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, warning that the team’s current young drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, could face a similar intense battle. The echoes of 2007, when Hamilton and Alonso’s partnership at McLaren spiraled into an infamous on-track feud, continue to resonate in the paddock.

The 2007 season remains one of the most dramatic in F1 history, not just because of the incredible talents of both drivers, but also due to the discord that consumed McLaren’s garage. The team was caught between its two drivers, with the rookie Hamilton pushing the seasoned Alonso to the limit. The result was a fractured relationship that nearly derailed McLaren’s title challenge that year, despite both drivers performing at the highest level. In the end, Alonso left McLaren after a single season, and Hamilton went on to become one of the sport’s most successful drivers.

Fast forward to the present day, and McLaren’s team has once again assembled a promising duo. Lando Norris, a well-established talent, has been the team’s leader since 2019, while the young and gifted Australian, Oscar Piastri, was brought in to complement Norris. Piastri, a former F2 champion, had been highly sought after and is seen as a potential future star of the sport. However, the pairing of Norris and Piastri could soon bring McLaren face-to-face with a similar dynamic to that of Hamilton and Alonso.

A former McLaren insider has warned that Norris and Piastri must be careful not to let the competition between them spiral out of control, as happened in 2007. The insider pointed out that while both Norris and Piastri are exceptionally talented, there is a danger that the pressure to outperform each other could lead to a destructive internal rivalry. If McLaren’s two drivers aren’t careful, the team could find itself in a scenario where the rivalry overshadows their potential, just as it did with Hamilton and Alonso over a decade ago.

“The tension between two drivers of similar calibre can destroy a team from the inside,” the former McLaren figure explained. “It might seem like healthy competition at first, but as the stakes get higher and each driver’s ambitions grow, things can turn toxic very quickly.”

The insider’s comments highlight the challenges of managing two highly competitive drivers. In McLaren’s case, both Norris and Piastri have the potential to challenge for podiums.