Fernando Alonso was spotted sarcastically applauding Lewis Hamilton after feeling that his Formula 1 rival had hindered him during practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The incident, not televised, occurred when Alonso, driving for Aston Martin, had to abort a flying lap due to encountering a Ferrari ahead of him on the track.
Alonso found himself behind Hamilton as they entered a narrow section of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit, where the limited space made it challenging for Hamilton to avoid affecting the car behind him, leading to instability in Alonso’s vehicle.
Expressing his displeasure, Alonso pulled up next to the Ferrari, slowed down, and mockingly applauded by taking both hands off the steering wheel. While this incident was not shown on Sky Sports, fans who watched the onboard feed from Alonso’s car shared it on social media. Despite Alonso’s frustration, many fans believed Hamilton was not at fault in this situation.
The seasoned drivers, Alonso and Hamilton, have had a longstanding rivalry since 2007 when they were teammates at McLaren. Their competitive dynamic led to tension and mutual point losses, allowing Kimi Raikkonen to secure the drivers’ championship. This recent clash is not the first time Alonso has been irritated by Hamilton’s actions, as evidenced by a previous incident following the Singapore Grand Prix.
After the race in Singapore, Alonso criticized Hamilton for corner-cutting due to brake failure, resulting in a penalty that pushed Hamilton below Alonso in the final standings. This ongoing rivalry between the two drivers continues to captivate fans and stir discussions in the F1 community.