At the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix, the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso flared up once again. In the final stage of the race, the British driver reported brake issues over team radio, but managed to continue until the finish.
Noticing his rival slowing down, the Spanish driver rapidly closed the gap. Over the last two laps he gained nearly a minute, but was unable to overtake Hamilton—at the finish, they were separated by just four tenths of a second. After the race, Alonso voiced his dissatisfaction on the radio, questioning his engineer about the legality of racing without functional brakes. His remarks were aimed not only at the team, but also at the stewards, in an effort to draw attention to a possible breach of safety regulations.
Recalling past cases when he himself was nearly forced to retire due to technical issues, Alonso questioned the consistency of the approach. He referenced the 2022 incident in Austin, when he faced disqualification over a broken mirror, and compared it to the current event, which he felt saw safety concerns being overlooked.
Hamilton wasted no time responding. He posted a video clip from a British sitcom on social media, featuring a character repeating the phrase “I can’t believe it”. The post included a comment alluding to the 18-year history of rivalry between the two drivers, which began back in 2007 when both raced for McLaren.
As a result of the inquiry, the stewards decided to penalize Hamilton for exceeding track limits, allowing Alonso to take seventh place. However, the issue of the car’s safety was not further examined, which left the Spaniard perplexed. The situation irritated Hamilton, as he considered the accusations from his long-time rival to be unwarranted.
This incident once again highlighted the long-standing rivalry between the two champions, which remains relevant even after many years. The Singapore Grand Prix became another stage for their heated dispute, and discussion of the incident continues to stir both fans and experts.
