On August 28, the 14th stage of Formula 1 ended. The Belgian Grand Prix was won by the Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, but the race was remembered for the far from brilliant performance of the Dutch driver, who started from 13th position.

Already on the first lap, the cars of the famous world champions Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton collided. The accident did not lead to any depressing consequences, but the Spaniard’s lightning-fast comment immediately after the incident sparked a small scandal.

“What an idiot!”

Just before the end of the first sector, Alonso and Hamilton, who started well, began to fight for second place. However, the face-to-face confrontation in a short period ended before it really began. The Briton overtook Fernando in the slipstream and, before the next turn, launched an attack along the inside trajectory. For a second, it seemed that Lewis was about to bypass the Spaniard, but the turning trajectory turned out to be too narrow – Hamilton’s Mercedes hit the wheel of Alpina Alonso and flew up into the air.

Photo: © Joe Portlock / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

As a result, both pilots continued the race, but Hamilton’s team immediately urged him to retire. At this time, with incidental insults to the British, Alonso continued to steer:

– What an idiot! Slams the gate from the outside! He knows how to ride only when he starts first, said Fernando.

The Spaniard did not crumble and quite successfully completed the race, finishing in 5th place. Hamilton, in turn, pleaded guilty, but Alonso did not want to talk to him because of the caustic comment.

“It’s definitely my fault, but I won’t answer him. The collision was not intentional, I took the blame, the incident is over. I would discuss it with him if I didn’t know what he said,” Lewis said.

The judges, as expected, found Hamilton guilty of the collision, but the Briton did not receive fines. On the first lap, due to the tight struggle, the pilots will rarely be sanctioned for dangerous maneuvers and frivolous collisions.

There have already been conflicts between the pilots

In 2007, when Hamilton spent his first season in Formula 1, Alonso was his teammate at McLaren. Relations between the pilots did not work out right away. The Briton showed phenomenal results for a debutant, becoming the youngest leader of the championship in history. This alignment greatly unnerved Fernando, at that time already a two-time world champion.

Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton / Photo: © Joe Portlock – Formula 1 / Contributor / Formula 1 / Gettyimages.com

As a result, this tension resulted in several ambiguous episodes. In Monaco, Hamilton finished behind Alonso, which gave rise to rumors about a ban on the British to fight with a partner. And in Hungary, the Spaniard deliberately stood for 10 extra seconds in the pit lane, so that Lewis did not have time for a quick lap. In addition, during the championship, both riders more than once went to dangerous maneuvers in full-time rivalry on the track. In the end, Alonso succumbed to a successful debutant and returned to Renault.

In the course of subsequent seasons, both pilots have repeatedly stated that the conflict between them has long been settled. But even after 15 years, notes of old grievances are clearly traced in the words of the Spaniard. If an insult to Hamilton can be attributed to emotions, then a caustic comment that calls into question the skill of the British racer clearly smacks of contempt.