How Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are emulating Cristiano Ronaldo, Lebron James and Tom Brady

Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are breaking barriers in F1 as drivers who have not dropped off in their late 30s and early 40s. That's the view of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who felt both these drivers were doing things that had only been done by legends outside F1 like Lebron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tom Brady.

Fernando Alonso is already on a multi-year contract with Aston Martin, while Lewis Hamilton is negotiating a new contract with Mercedes. Both of the drivers have been part of the sport for more than 15 years, and even at an advanced age, they have not let their performance drop off.

Lewis Hamilton is currently 4th in the championship, while Fernando Alonso, with 4 podiums to his name already, is 3rd. Talking about these two drivers, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff felt that these two drivers have been breaking barriers for what is possible for a driver at a particular age.

Wolff told DAZN, as per Motorsport.com:

“Fernando has shown that at 41 he is still very strong. I think they are breaking barriers. We can see sportsmen like Tom Brady or LeBron James, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, Lewis, who will go beyond 40, and I think if you continue to improve, if you know how to live your best life, have good nutrition, train and focus, you can stay longer.”

He added:

“George, since he arrived, is driving to be World Champion one day, he is a very hard worker, like Lewis. But he is very mature for his age, you feel you are not talking to a 25-year-old, you are talking to a 40-year-old.”

'Super embarrassing' to negotiate contract with Lewis Hamilton: Toto Wolff

With Lewis Hamilton's contract negotiation seen as a mere formality, Toto Wolff admits that negotiating a contract with the Mercedes driver is super embarrassing. Both Lewis and Toto have built a strong relationship over the past decade, and that does make it hard during contract negotiations.

Talking about the negotiations, Toto said:

"It's super embarrassing. Every three years, we know that we have this moment. And it's like negotiating the financial terms with your best friend with a close friend. How do you go about it? Normally, you don't have a situation like that."

He added:

"I want the best for him, but in this role, I need the best for the team. It may be the only time in our ten or eleven years that we're together and our goals diverge."

It will be interesting to see how long what appears to be the final contract that Hamilton signs with Mercedes lasts, as that could determine how big a commitment he's willing to make in F1.