Lewis Hamilton once showed his true colours after Fernando Alonso called him an ‘idiot’ on team radio

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Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have enjoyed one of the most intense and thrilling rivalries of the 21st century.

It all began in Hamilton’s rookie season back in 2007, when the two were teammates at McLaren and vying for the drivers’ championship.

They ended the season tied on points, and Alonso opted to depart and rejoin Renault for 2008 after frosty relations with the Woking-based outfit to say the least.

Fast-forward 15 years, and the Spaniard had won zero Formula 1 titles in the time his ex-teammate had managed seven across two different teams, including McLaren and Mercedes.

Alonso never understood Hamilton at McLaren and how he could possibly arrive in the sport at a young age and beat him almost immediately.

Now, Hamilton and Alonso could retire on the same day with their contracts expiring at the same time in 2026. It would be a coincidental end to their careers.

READ MORE: Juan Pablo Montoya has spotted one worrying mentality ‘difference’ between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso

Lewis Hamilton showed his true colours after Fernando Alonso called him an ‘idiot’

Spending much of the last 10 years in the midfield abyss has seen Alonso rarely share the same piece of tarmac as Hamilton.

Alonso once snubbed Hamilton when he was asked to name his greatest rival of all time, and believes that the legendary Michael Schumacher was instead.

At the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix, the two made contact on the first lap, which forced the Brit to retire on the spot.

The two-time champion, however, was able to continue and managed to finish a terrific fifth. That was after ranting about Hamilton’s move on the radio.

“What an idiot! Closing the door from the outside,” he said, according to ESPN. “We had a great start, but this guy only knows how to drive and start in first.”

In response, Hamilton showed his true colours by admitting fault for the incident and apologising. It represented true sportsmanship and a great example from one of the greatest of all time.

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How Lewis Hamilton responded to Fernando Alonso’s ‘idiot’ radio message

Speaking after the race, Hamilton refused to acknowledge Alonso’s comments, aware that they were said in the heat of the moment.

“Looking back at the footage, he was in my blind spot and I didn’t leave him enough space so it was my fault today,” he said. “Just sorry for the team. Doesn’t really matter what he said. Like I said, it was my fault.”

The stewards deemed the matter a racing incident, and they moved on after that. They haven’t made contact on track since then.

With the 2026 F1 regulations around the corner, they could soon meet at the front of the field again, but it relies on their teams nailing the new rules.