Fernando Alonso’s McLaren engineer blames Lewis Hamilton and his father for ruining team environment in 2007

Fernando Alonso's race engineer at McLaren, Mark Slade, has blamed Lewis Hamilton and his father, Anthony, for causing disruptions within the team back in 2007. The Briton had claimed that Alonso wasn't a "nasty person," as he blamed the other side of the garage for causing the issues that year at the team.

Alonso joined McLaren in 2007 after having won back-to-back world championships with Renault. He was partnered up with a rookie Lewis Hamilton, along with whom he created one of the fiercest rivalries in the sport's history.

Internal politics prevailed over the British team with numerous rifts between Alonso and Hamilton. The Spaniard has often been blamed for disrupting the peace within the team, which he ended up leaving after just one year.

Speaking recently, Slade has come out in defense of the 44-year-old, blaming Lewis Hamilton and his father for causing problems within the Woking-based outfit.

"I really liked Fernando and liked working with him. He was a nice guy to work with. And yeah, he did play the game a little bit, but he was a good guy," Slade said, while speaking on Peter Windsor's podcast.

"He wasn't a nasty person, and some of the stuff that went on (at McLaren) was started by the Lewis camp, Lewis and his dad, in some of the things they did," he added.

Alonso and Hamilton finished on equal points in 2007, and both had four race wins to their name. The latter ranked higher in the drivers' standings on countback.

Even amid McLaren's dominance, neither driver was able to win the drivers' championship as Kimi Raikkonen swept the title, thanks to Alonso and Hamilton getting in each other's way on numerous occasions.

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Mark Slade reflects on Fernando Alonso's McLaren exit

Fernando Alonso at the Singapore Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Speaking on the aforementioned podcast, Mark Slade also added that he felt it was a "real shame" that Fernando Alonso's time at McLaren was cut short. The engineer believed that Alonso would have been a big asset for the team if he had stayed beyond 2007.

After claiming that Alonso was not a great fit at McLaren, Slade added:

"I thought it was a real shame, because he was a brilliant driver, and he was an absolute massive asset to the team. So, it was such a real shame that it didn't work out."

Slade then also claimed that he wouldn't put it past Fernando Alonso to win the world championship in 2026 if the Aston Martin car is competitive next year, thanks to Adrian Newey and their new Honda engines. He also ranked the 2x world champion as the most determined person that he had ever worked with in his career.