Fernando Alonso Apologizes To Lewis Hamilton For 'Idiot' Comment, Then Hands Out Blame

Alpine's Fernando Alonso called Lewis Hamilton an "idiot" over the radio during last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix. Now he's apologizing to Hamilton but says media bias is to blame for generating an overreaction.

Alonso and Hamilton came together on the first lap of the race at Spa. They entered the first part of the Les Combes chicane nearly side by side.

The contact sent Hamilton airborne and into the runoff area. His race came to an end later in the lap when he was forced to pull over and hop out of his damaged W13. Meanwhile, Alonso seemed to come out of the confrontation unscathed save for some damage to his front left wheel brow. He finished a solid P5.

Alonso had some words for the seven-time champion in the moment. He called Hamilton an "idiot" and that he only knew "how to drive starting first."

That second one is less of a slam and more of a backhanded compliment.

After the race, even Hamilton admitted that the contact was his fault. But he wasn't fond of Alonso's radio message.

Hamilton wasn't the only one. Formula 1 commentator Martin Brundle called Alonso's radio call "inaccurate and unfair."

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton got some air after colliding with Alpine's Fernando Alonso during the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix. (Getty Images)

Alonso Doubled Down On British Favoritism

Going into the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend, Alonso said he'd apologize to Hamilton when he saw him, but the Spaniard had some harsh words for the media regarding perceived favoritism toward British drivers and the fact that driver radio gets broadcast in the first place.

“It made a huge thing. First of all it’s Lewis — he’s a champion, he’s a legend of our time. And then when you say something — and I’m sorry to repeat this — against a British driver, there is a huge media involvement after that," Alonsos said according to Racer.com.

"They’ve been saying a lot of things to Checo (Perez), to Carlos (Sainz), to me. If you say something to a Latin driver, everything is a little bit more fun. When you say something to others, it’s a little bit more serious."

This isn't the first time, that Alonso has made accusations that British drivers are treated better. He made similar comments last month saying that non-British drivers like himself and reigning champ Max Verstappen have been painted as the sports' villains.

Alonso — who had a tense relationship with Hamilton when the two were teammates at McLaren in 2007 — also said that he doesn't think driver radio should be part of F1 broadcasts.

“I don’t think (radio messages should be broadcast). As I said, it is the only sport… In football, in tennis, in whatever, you have your moments of privacy with your team and you prepare everything better.

“I know it’s part of the show. As I said, all the things broadcasted on the radio are a bit spicy because the sport wants that spice into the race. They never (broadcast) go to ‘diff position five’ because it’s not interesting and it’s what we talk about every lap."

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