Fernando Alonso may consider thinking twice before making a comment about Sir Lewis Hamilton in the future, after he was well and truly silenced following the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix.
The Alpine F1 Team driver called the 37-year-old an “idiot”, after the pair collided on the opening lap at Les Combes.
Hamilton and Alonso both made excellent starts, with the Spaniard running P2 and Hamilton P3 on the run to the end of the straight leading to Les Combes.
The seven-time World Champion was right in the slipstream of the 41-year-old and pulled to the outside at the corner.
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Hamilton swooped around the outside of Alonso; however, the Brit cut across the front of the double World Champion leaving him nowhere to go.
The pair collided in dramatic fashion, as the rear of Hamilton’s W13 launched into the air, performing somewhat of a nosedive.
The Brit slammed back onto the circuit but was forced to retire immediately following suspected floor damage.
Alonso somehow came out of the incident clean and went on to finish fifth at Spa-Francorchamps.
The Spanish driver had some strong words for Hamilton when the incident happened, after letting his frustrations know over the Alpine radio.
“What an idiot, closing the door from the outside. I mean, we had a mega start, but this guy only knows how to drive and start in first,” Alonso insisted.
Hamilton was asked about his former team-mate’s comments after the race, for which he gave no reaction.
“It doesn’t really matter what he said. I don’t care,” said the Mercedes driver.
“Like I said, it was my fault, I couldn’t see him.”
Hamilton took full responsibility for the crash, which was deemed a racing incident.
The Mercedes driver explained how he couldn’t see the Alpine due to it being in his blind-spot, but nevertheless the 103-time GP winner recognised he was at fault and owned up to it.
Alonso was much calmer after the race where he was told that Hamilton had accepted responsibility.
The Spaniard admitted it was a racing incident, but that it was still “frustrating” after making a good start.
“I mean, I was surprised, and for sure he now saw the incident and he takes the responsibility, which is obviously very nice from him.
“It was a lap one incident, nothing really to say there. The stewards, they didn’t say anything because these things happen, especially in that corner. It happened in the past, I remember also with Lewis and [former Mercedes team-mate Nico] Rosberg [in 2014]. It’s a tricky corner.
“I was frustrated in that moment for sure; every time we start in the first row, second row or we are fighting top two, top three, there is something going on. And yeah, I was frustrated but luckily my car was very strong, and nothing happened, I could continue. Lewis did not have that luck and had to retire the car.”
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Since Alonso made the comment that Hamilton only knows how to drive from first, F1 statman Sean Kelly has posted some incredible figures to silence the Spaniard.
42 of Hamilton’s 103 F1 victories have come from starting second or lower, this number alone is higher than Ayrton Senna’s (41), Alonso’s (32), Nigel Mansell’s (31) and Max Verstappen’s (29) total race victories no matter where they started.
Hamilton only has eight more chances to continue his record of winning at least one race in every F1 season he’s competed in, a streak that goes back all the way to 2007.