Alonso: “Hamilton is right to consider leaving McLaren”

Fernando Alonso has supported Lewis Hamilton's choice to consider a possible farewell to McLaren at the end of the season. The Spaniard left the English team after just one season alongside then-rookie Hamilton, in 2007.

This week at an event in Spain, the Ferrari driver said leaving McLaren “was the best decision of my life”.

“So if Hamilton is also considering that option, I don't see why anyone should say that it's not possible (for Hamilton to leave McLaren, ed.)” explained Alonso. “McLaren is a great team, but they only won the 2008 world championship on the last corner of the last race. If we take away that title, we have to go back a long way to find another one,” added Alonso.

Now the Spaniard and Hamilton seem to have mutual respect after the bad spell in McLaren: “I said that he is the only one capable of winning without the best car. The others win if the car goes well, and when it doesn't they don't win."