Drivers and teams have already felt the sting of penalties in the World Championship, but Formula 1 is actively seeking fresh incentives to spark excitement across the grid. At the center of attention is a marquee duel between the two veterans with the strongest on-track resumes: Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. The rivalry remains emotionally charged as the battle for third place in the standings unfolds over a pivotal weekend in Mexico.
Currently, the British driver sits third in the standings, while the Spaniard sits fourth, separated by 18 points with four races left to decide the title. Neither man scored in Austin. Alonso could have mounted a late surge to finish sixth after an heroic drive, yet with five laps remaining he was forced to retire due to a mechanical issue linked to damage on the flatbed of his Aston Martin. Hamilton, meanwhile, closed the gap to Verstappen to about two seconds and reached the podium, only to be disqualified after the race when the stewards ruled that the wear on the Mercedes floor exceeded the permitted limit under the regulations.
To stoke the Hamilton-Alonso showdown, Formula 1 released a video across its social channels revisiting the epic clash from the 2017 Mexican Grand Prix. In that memorable moment, Alonso was driving for McLaren, the ninth-placed car on the grid, yet managed to outperform Hamilton, who at the time had the fastest car of the Hybrid era. The eight-team struggle that day put pressure on Mercedes to win the championship.
Alonso ⚔️Hamilton
Fernando and Lewis had a heated moment on track in 2017. ️#MexicanGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/VfflfxSNOy
— Formula 1 (@F1) 25 October 2023
The tension between the two drivers is born from a long-standing rivalry that has evolved with their careers. They once shared a team at McLaren during the turbulent 2007 season, a period that marked the early days of Hamilton’s ascent and Alonso’s intense ambition. Hamilton’s move to Mercedes transformed his fortunes, while Alonso moved through several teams before returning to the grid with Alpine in 2021.
This season, the two have found themselves matched more closely than in recent years. Early in the year, Alonso put together six podium finishes, reigniting tension and showcasing his ability to challenge the leaders. Their on-track duels have featured daring passes and moments that tested the limits of the machinery. Yet as the season progressed, AMR23 began to show signs of wear while the W14 emerged as Mercedes’ strongest challenger. Mercedes climbed back into the competition and briefly overtook Aston Martin in the constructors’ standings, though Austin saw the Silver Arrows drop to fifth as McLaren reclaimed a position, leaving Alonso hopeful that a final surge could leave him with a strong emotional finish of the year, provided Aston Martin can optimize the latest package introduced in the United States.
“When we made the changes, the car felt noticeably better. The handling improved, especially in corners, and that allowed me to pass cars that had been difficult in recent races. There is still work to do and more practice in Mexico will help, but I think we are moving in the right direction,” Alonso noted, as teammate Lance Stroll secured a seventh-place finish in Austin after starting from the pit lane with the updated setup.
Mercedes’ acceleration shifts the balance of the title fight
After a rocky start to the season, Mercedes has managed to evolve. The upgrades implemented since the Monaco Grand Prix represent a meaningful step forward for the W14. Even though Hamilton was disqualified in Austin, his performance this year demonstrated that he was closer to a victory than at any other point. He remained pragmatic about the setback, saying the disqualification did not cast a shadow over the progress made.
This weekend at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Hamilton will have another prime chance to press his case. He finished second last year, with George Russell fourth, marking one of Brackley’s finest performances. If Mercedes can tune the car’s setup again, Hamilton could end a near two-year drought that has lingered since December 2021, turning a season of near-misses into a strong, late surge.