Former McLaren race engineer reveals the key factor why Lewis Hamilton was quicker than Fernando Alonso in 2007

Former McLaren race engineer Mark Slade revealed the true reason why Lewis Hamilton was quicker during the 2007 season than then-reigning double world champion Fernando Alonso. He elaborated on how tires played a much bigger role than many would have thought, and how they held back the Spaniard in the initial phase of the season.

After winning the 2005 and 2006 titles with Renault, Alonso jumped ship to McLaren and was paired with Hamilton, who was a rookie back then. The Briton had arrived from a championship-winning GP2 (now F2) season and was touted by many to play the second fiddle to Alonso owing to his inexperience in F1.

However, something polar opposite took place as Hamilton was more often than not the faster McLaren driver out on track. Though many factors could have played into the pace difference, one key aspect was the Bridgestone tires that Alonso had to adapt to.

The Spaniard had won his world championships driving the Renault with Michelins, but the French tire maker left F1 at the end of the 2006 season and leaving Bridgestone as the sole tire supplier. Fernando Alonso subsequently struggled to get up to grips with the tire, where Hamilton excelled, as Slade revealed on The DRS Train podcast:

"When we went testing with Lewis and Fernando, to be honest, initially Lewis was quicker. I think Fernando was actually struggling adapting to the Bridgestone tires, because we'd switched from Michelin to Bridgestone. And I think he found that quite a big problem because they did require a very different technique. He'd got used to the Michelins had a very strong front end, and the Renault had a rearwood weight distribution. So, he had driven a car that was quite sharp." (1:01:04 onwards)

"And Lewis having driven Bridgestones in GP2... I think the tires behave much more similarly to the GP2 tires that he was used to. And, ironically, even though he was the new guy and Fernando was the reigning double world champion, it was actually easier for Lewis to adapt to that car than Fernando."

Meanwhile, 2007 was the only year that Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were teammates as the latter parted ways with McLaren. Currently, Hamilton drives for Ferrari while Alonso drives for Aston Martin.

Lewis Hamilton's doesn't regret his decision of joining Ferrari despite recent struggles

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton at the F1 Grand Prix Of Qatar 2025 race weekend - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari in 2025 with high hopes. However, these hopes have come crashing down as the seven-time champion has even been unable to get his car on top of the podium.

This has led to a variety of narratives roaming around the paddock, and when asked about whether he would have joined Ferrari knowing the team's subpar pace in 2025, he replied ahead of the Qatar GP weekend (via F1):