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Lewis Hamilton is no stranger to the pressures of battling against past world champions throughout his career. After multiple elbow-to-elbow battles with the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso, the 36-year old has won against the best the sport has to offer.
Hamilton and Alonso were teammates in the former's debut season at McLaren in 2007, with the latter already being a two-time world champion. Lewis has spoken about the pressure of being a rookie in F1 while partnering with one of the greats.
In an interview with Charlie Rose on CBS, which aired in 2015, the now seven-time world champion revealed what it was like going up against Alonso. He said:
"The first year I'm at McLaren. I've got the two-time world champion who has just won in 2005 and 2006. He has number one on his car and I have number two because that's how it goes. And I remember sitting, you know, testing and just studying. I've got to make sure that somehow I match this guy."
Lewis Hamilton spoke about the team's expectations of him. He said:
"I remember just before the first race, Ron [Dennis] said in his office, 'You've got to expect and don't be surprised if you are half a second behind Alonso in the first race.' You don't know what that did to me inside."
However, Lewis Hamilton not only kept up with the Spaniard, but also placed P3 for his first ever podium in F1 at the Australian Grand Prix in 2007. The Briton lost to Kimi Raikkonen by only one point at the end of the season, giving the Iceman his first and only world championship win.
Watch a clip from Lewis Hamilton's CBS interview below:
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso back on the podium at Qatar Grand Prix
Fernando Alonso had arrived at McLaren after winning two consecutive world championships with Renault and was thought to be the clear favorite. However, the rookie from Stevenage shocked the world by not only keeping up with the Spaniard. but also appearing on the podium in each of his first nine races at McLaren. The young Briton introduced himself to the world in dramatic fashion.
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have a long history of battles over the years, with the Briton coming out successful more often than the Spaniard. However, the two F1 veterans returned to the podium together once again at the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix last Sunday.
Not being able to go toe-to-toe with Hamilton over the last few years due to the difference in equipment has been a missing point in Fernando Alonso's career, by the latter's own admission. Fans of both men will surely be hoping to see them grace the podium again before the year is out.
