Lewis Hamilton will look to emulate Fernando Alonso by winning on his Ferrari debut at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. Alonso stood on the top step at the 2010 Bahrain GP immediately after joining the Scuderia.
That victory launched Alonso’s title bid, though he would ultimately lose out to Sebastian Vettel – his future Ferrari replacement – at the finale in Abu Dhabi. There was a repeat two years later as Vettel edged a dramatic, season-long title scrap.
Alonso left Ferrari at the end of the 2014 season, having seen their performance drop off following the regulation changes. They finished fourth in the championship, nearly 500 points behind Mercedes.
The Spaniard ranks fifth on the overall Ferrari list for both wins (11, level with Felipe Massa) and podiums 44). He’s clearly one of the best drivers to wear their colours.
But he never managed to achieve his ultimate goal despite going agonisingly close. While Hamilton has been studying Alonso and Vettel as he tries to adapt at Maranello, the duo also offer a cautionary tale.
Hamilton is already the most successful driver in F1 history. But it would inescapably be a disappointment if he didn’t win a record-breaking eighth title with the team before he retires.
Lewis Hamilton has placed his faith in Ferrari at the right time – Fernando Alonso didn’t
According to BBC Sport’s Andrew Benson, ‘many people’ in the F1 paddock believe Alonso would have won another title had he stayed at Ferrari a little longer. They became Mercedes’ closest rivals in 2015, just a year after his exit.
Vettel finished third that season and was runner-up in both 2017 and 2018 after mounting strong challenges before falling away. Perhaps Alonso could have kept up the fight.
| RANK | DRIVER | WINS |
| 1 | Michael Schumacher | 72 |
| 2 | Niki Lauda | 15 |
| 3 | Sebastian Vettel | 14 |
| 4 | Alberto Ascari | 13 |
| =5 | Felipe Massa | 11 |
| =5 | Fernando Alonso | 11 |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | 10 |
| 8 | Rubens Barrichello | 9 |
| 9 | Charles Leclerc | 8 |
| =10 | Jacky Ickx | 6 |
| =10 | Gilles Villeneuve | 6 |
As it is, he made a disastrous move to McLaren-Honda that no doubt influenced his decision to retire in 2018. After two years away from the sport, he returned with Alpine, and while he’ll be optimistic of a 2026 title challenge at Aston Martin, his victory drought is set to reach 12 years this season.
On the other hand, ‘the belief is’ that Hamilton has placed his faith in Ferrari at just the right moment. It’s ‘as good a time’ as any to join the Italian marquee, who finished 14 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ championship last year.
Martin Brundle notices one ‘very smart’ thing Lewis Hamilton has done at Ferrari
Most F1 fans would accept that Hamilton and Alonso are closely matched in terms of talent. And yet, Hamilton has won five more championships and 73 more races.
Both drivers took gambles, with Hamilton leaving McLaren before Alonso departed Ferrari. One was a masterstroke, and the other was ruinous.
Mercedes believe they’re third-fastest heading to the season opener, which would represent an improvement from last year. Hamilton will hope Ferrari are the biggest threats to McLaren, universally regarded as the quickest team right now.
Martin Brundle has praised the ‘very smart’ Hamilton after seeing him reunite with trainer Angela Cullen. He also has manager Marc Hynes and team principal Fred Vasseur, his boss in the junior categories, alongside him, which will aid his adaptation.
