Fernando Alonso makes Lewis Hamilton claim: ‘I’d stay with him until he’s 80 years old’

Hamilton penned a contract extension with Mercedes on Thursday which will take him racing into his 40s

Fernando Alonso insists he would keep Lewis Hamilton “until he’s 80 years old” over picking a young F2 driver after the seven-time world champion signed a new contract with Mercedes.

Hamilton, 38, penned an extension until the end of the 2025 season – alongside team-mate George Russell – which will keep him racing in F1 into his 40s.

Alonso, himself 42, has shown with his seven podiums for Aston Martin this season that age is no factor when it comes to performance – a point he reiterated when speaking to the press in Monza about Hamilton’s new deal.

Asked whether age should count for something in a team principal’s decision for keeping a driver, Alonso replied: “No, I think they choose time, as has always been [the case] in motorsport.

“I have never seen any rally, Moto GP or F1 team choose the slowest between two drivers. If I were a team boss now and I had to choose Hamilton or the youngest on the grid or a promising F2 driver, I’d stay with Hamilton until he’s 80 years old, until someone shows me that he’s faster than Hamilton.

“In the case of Hamilton, who continues to perform at 100% and his only life concern is F1, as can be the case for me too, ‘when someone faster comes, we’ll talk’ but at the moment Hamilton is faster than anyone.”

Alonso endured a tumultuous one-year partnership in Hamilton’s rookie season at McLaren in 2007, with the pair falling out as both fought for the world championship, eventually won by Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Fernando Alonso praised Lewis Hamilton’s level after he signed a new contract with Mercedes (Getty Images)

The pair have been rivals ever since but are now on cordial terms as the two elder statesman of the paddock.

The duo are fighting for championship position again this season: Alonso, who joined Aston Martin from Alpine prior to this season, is in third place and is 12 points ahead of Hamilton in fourth.

Hamilton emphasised after signing his new deal – reported to be worth £50m-a-year – that he has “unfinished business” in the sport as he continues to hunt for a record-breaking eighth world championship.

Both Alonso and Hamilton have won at Monza before – Alonso twice and Hamilton five times – ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.