Spaniard Fernando Alonso, two-time world champion in Formula 1, welcomed the approaching seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton of joining the club of drivers who have contested 400 races in the world championship, during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil this weekend.
Alonso, 45 years old, is preparing to contest his 430th race in his career at the Sao Paulo Circuit, while Hamilton, 41 years old, will become the second driver in the history of the championship to reach the 400 race barrier.
Alonso said on Thursday: “Lewis had an exceptional career in Formula 1, and he competed in 400 races, during which he was always in a very competitive position. "I congratulate him, and I hope he has a good race and weekend."
The Spanish driver added: “I believe that more drivers will join this club, as the number of races in the championship calendar increases.”
Hamilton played his career in the championship with three teams, starting with McLaren, where he participated in 110 races, during which he achieved 21 victories, and was crowned the World Drivers' Championship for the first time in 2008.
He then moved to Mercedes, which witnessed the most successful era in his career. He competed in 246 races, during which he achieved 84 victories, and added six world titles to his tally, becoming one of the most decorated drivers in the history of the championship.
As for Ferrari, his current team, Hamilton participated in 43 races, during which he achieved one victory, continuing his long career in the first category of motorsport.
The British driver recently indicated his desire to continue competing until his mid-forties, expressing his hope to participate in a grand prix race held on the African continent in the future.
Hamilton's reaching the 400 race mark represents a new milestone in his exceptional career, joining Alonso in a limited list that reflects continuity and experience at the highest levels of competition in Formula 1.
British Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari driver and seven-time world champion in Formula 1 races, confirmed that he will not apologize for expressing his opinions, stressing that he is still frustrated by the incident that brought him together with his colleague Charles Leclerc during the Mexico City Grand Prix last Sunday, and caused the Italian team to waste the opportunity to finish the race in first and second places.
Speaking to reporters in Sao Paulo, Thursday, before the Brazilian Grand Prix scheduled for next week, Hamilton said: “I don't really care how others feel about what I said. I am very honest when I express my feelings at that moment. “I will never apologize for being honest and real, and I will never allow anyone to silence me.”
The British driver had started from first place in Mexico, but lost the lead after a sharp competition with Leclerc in the first turns, which led to the two Ferrari cars leaving the track, allowing Dutchman Max Verstappen to seize the lead and go on to win the race.
Hamilton expressed his dissatisfaction with the way his colleague competed with him, considering that the matter becomes more difficult when the driver finds himself facing a colleague who is working against him within the same team.
He stressed the need for Ferrari to review the style of competition between its drivers, after losing the opportunity to achieve a result that could have given the team a clear advantage over its competitors.
Hamilton explained that he has not yet had an in-depth discussion with Leclerc regarding the incident, as the Monaco driver spent the past days with his family after becoming a father this week.
Leclerc is expected to arrive in Brazil on Friday, but will miss the first free practice session.
"Of course I was frustrated, and I'm still frustrated," Hamilton said. We have to have discussions,” he admitted, in response to a question about whether Leclerc was competing with him more intensely than his other rivals, that this impression was correct.
He added: “We could have easily finished the race in first and second place, so we must definitely work to ensure that what happened does not happen again.”
Hamilton, 41, joined Ferrari last year from Mercedes, while Leclerc has been defending the Italian team's colors since 2019.
The British driver spoke about the challenges that accompany joining a team the size of Ferrari, saying: “I always tried to be respectful. Of course it is not easy for someone like me to join a team, because I am very honest and I keep pushing for changes.”
He stressed that his primary goal remains to achieve victories and compete for titles, stressing the importance of cooperation within the team to reach the required level.
He concluded by saying: “I am here to win, and in order for you to win, you must work with everyone around you. We can all improve our level, and I truly believe that this team is capable of competing for the World Championship title next year.”
Hungary's Ferencvaros and England's Bournemouth continued their perfect start in the European Football League, each of them achieving their fourth consecutive victory, on Thursday, in the fourth round of the league stage, to maintain their full score.
Ferencvaros caused a huge surprise by defeating its Italian host, Milan, with two unanswered goals, in a result that strengthened his successful career in the continental championship, and inflicted a loss on the Italian team at home and among its fans.
For its part, Bournemouth continued its strong performances, after returning with a valuable victory from Sparta Prague Stadium, Czech Republic, with a score of 3-1, achieving its fourth victory in a row, confirming its strong presence in European competitions.
In the rest of the round's matches, Anderlecht of Belgium defeated its guest, Salzburg of Austria, with two clean goals, while Levski Sofia of Bulgaria achieved a victory over its guest, Jagiellonia Białystok, of Poland, with a goal to none.
Czech Republic's Viktoria Plzeň returned with an away victory over Norwegian Lillestrom with a clean goal, while Nijmegen beat Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus with a score of 3-1.
In two matches that ended in a draw, England's Crystal Palace settled for a 1-1 draw against its German guest, Hoffenheim, which was the same result as the Spanish match between Real Sociedad and its French guest, Olympique Lyonnais, ended in a draw.
With these results, Ferencvaros and Bournemouth maintained their perfect record after four rounds, at a time when the competition continues between the clubs to reserve advanced positions in the league stage standings.
