Lewis Hamilton warned he’s ‘playing with fire’ by digging out Fernando Alonso

Lewis Hamilton was ‘playing with fire’ by joking about Fernando Alonso’s age at last weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, according to one-time Drivers’ Championship winner Damon Hill. The pair shared an intriguing on-track battle in Montreal, with Hamilton passing Alonso on the very first lap to move into second place after starting one position behind his Spanish rival on the grid.

Alonso eventually managed to catch up to his Mercedes rival later on before taking the position back, with Hamilton eventually being forced to settle for a third-placed finish at the end of the 70-lap contest. The Brit went on to poke fun at Alonso in the media pen just minutes after the podium celebrations had died down by joking that his slowing reactions were at play for Hamilton’s move on lap one.

“His reactions are a little slow… it’s an age thing,” said Hamilton, before Alonso fired back by vowing to return the favour at next weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. He replied: “In Austria, two weeks’ time.”

The duo have rarely seen eye-to-eye on the F1 grid following their brief but eventful stint as McLaren team-mates back in 2007, although their post-race exchange in Canada demonstrated the impressive level of sporting respect between two greats of the sport. Hill has since pointed out the irony in Hamilton’s comments given that he is no spring chicken himself at 38 years of age, which makes him just three years younger than his Spanish counterpart.

“I thought he was playing with fire a little bit with the friendly dig he gave Fernando Alonso about jumping him at the start, saying that it’s because he’s a bit old now,” Hill exclusively told Express Sport. “Because the second oldest guy in Formula One is Lewis Hamilton! But the good thing is that Fernando shows there’s life after 40. Lewis is probably thinking: ‘Great, I’ve got a few more seasons.'”

Hamilton’s long-term future in F1 remains uncertain as things stand, with the Mercedes stalwart yet to extend his stay with the team despite holding talks over a potential new contract over the last few weeks. However, he is widely expected to sign a new two-year deal with the German outfit at some point between now and the end of this year, which would keep him on the grid until at least the age of 40.

Hill, meanwhile, was speaking to Express Sport from the Damon Hill Festival of Karting event, during which he got behind the wheel of a kart powered by Zero synthetic fuel. It marked the first time worldwide that a kart had been driven with synthetic fuel in the tank, with Hill passionate about leading the change from fossil fuels to other carbon-neutral options in the racing industry.

“It shows a lot of confidence in the science and I was very excited to do that,” said Hill. “The great thing is they can just put it straight into the petrol tank, and the kart went fine and ran beautifully. That’s a little added excitement for us.

“This charity event, we’ve been doing it for 10 years and it’s for young people with learning disabilities so it’s great to create a little bit more attention for what we’re trying to do and what the charity is trying to do as well. It’s something that is going to be part of our future, I think, and we’re very keen on making the future a bit brighter for young people with learning disabilities as well.”

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