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Nelson Piquet Jr. asserts that Fernando Alonso exhibits more passion for racing than Lewis Hamilton, despite both being over 40. Their rivalry dates back to their time as teammates at McLaren in 2007.
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Nelson Piquet Jr. has highlighted a significant difference between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, despite both drivers being the only ones on the current grid over 40.
The rivalry between Alonso and Hamilton has been a constant presence in Formula 1 since their time as teammates at McLaren back in 2007.
That season, Alonso was earning considerably more than Hamilton â about 34 times as much â but the battle between them was closely matched all year long.
Now, nearly two decades later, theyâre still competing against each other in F1 machinery whenever the opportunity arises.
Hamiltonâs future has been a topic of conversation ever since his switch to Ferrari, while questions remain about how much longer Alonso plans to stay in the sport. Piquet Jr., however, believes thereâs a clear difference between what keeps each of them going.
Piquet Jr shared his perspective on the differences between Alonso and Hamilton late in their F1 careers during an interview with SoyMotor.
The Brazilian questioned Hamiltonâs level of motivation compared to Alonso, suggesting that the seven-time champion doesnât approach race weekends with the same hunger.
âLewis doesnât have the love, passion, and hunger that Fernando still has, despite Fernando being older. He is five or six years older than my and Lewisâs generation, yet he has more passion than many of the other drivers; that is very respectable.â
He also drew a comparison between Alonso and Max Verstappen, saying: âFernando is similar to Max in that he loves racing. He is a racer and extremely fast. When I was racing with Fernando nearly 20 years ago, he was in his prime and very tough to beat on the weekends.
Nelson Piquet Jr. claimed that Fernando Alonso has more passion for racing than Lewis Hamilton.
The rivalry between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton has been ongoing since their time as teammates at McLaren in 2007.
In 2007, Fernando Alonso was earning about 34 times more than Lewis Hamilton while they were teammates at McLaren.

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Piquet Jr added: âTwenty years later, he still has that same hunger. It is admirable because that isnât easy. You donât see that same drive in Lewis, for example, but Fernando has more of it than most drivers on the grid. I respect that a lot.â
Now into his 23rd season in Formula 1, itâs unclear how much longer the 44-year-old plans to keep going before stepping away from the grid.
Before pre-season testing began, Alonso admitted that Aston Martin have been pressing him to decide on his future with them past 2026, wanting enough time to plan for life after him if needed.
The Spaniard has said more than once that motivation is what keeps him racing. His current deal runs out at the end of this season, leaving it up to him if he wants to continue or call it a career.
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