Alonso vs Hamilton 2007: the year that changed F1
Teammates, irreconcilable rivals. Relive McLaren's most explosive duel with any car.
The simulation's verdict
Fernando Alonso would have won the 2007 title in 68% of the 200 simulations.
Fernando Alonso
Lewis Hamilton
Who finished ahead
Based on 200 simulations of the 2007 season. Numbers can vary each time you play.
Historical context
The 2007 McLaren season was the greatest internal spectacle in F1 history. Alonso arrived as defending double champion and found in Hamilton — a rookie — his greatest threat. The cold war between them ended with Räikkönen's title. What would have happened without internal tensions?
The real 2007 season
The 2007 season was one of the most spectacular and tense in decades, both on and off the track. Fernando Alonso, the reigning double champion, joined McLaren only to find an unexpectedly phenomenal rookie team-mate: Lewis Hamilton. Far from deferring to the hierarchy, Hamilton took the fight to the Asturian from the very first race, unleashing an internal war that poisoned the team's atmosphere and ultimately wrecked both their chances. As the two McLarens took points off each other, Kimi Räikkönen and Ferrari lurked behind. The Finn produced a prodigious comeback in the final two rounds and was crowned world champion in Brazil by a single point over both McLarens, the only outcome that favoured him. The year was also marked by "Spygate", the biggest espionage scandal in the sport's history, which cost McLaren a record fine.
Real champion: Kimi Räikkönen in the Ferrari F2007. Räikkönen wins the championship on the last race by one point — the only result that benefited him. See the full 2007 season →
The drivers
Fernando Alonso is the most decorated Spanish driver in history and, for many, one of the most complete ever. The Asturian from Oviedo broke the Ferrari-Schumacher stranglehold with Renault, winning back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006 and becoming the youngest champion in history at the time. What cemented his legend was not only those titles but his knack for wringing more from cars than they should give. Full profile →
Lewis Hamilton is the most decorated driver in history in wins and poles, and equals Schumacher with seven world titles. Raised in Stevenage and backed by McLaren from childhood, he burst onto the scene in 2007 with such force that he came within a single point of the championship in his rookie year. He made amends in 2008, clinching his first title on the final corner of the last race in Brazil, snatching it from Felipe Massa metres from the line. Full profile →
How it's simulated
The engine recreates qualifying (Q1, Q2, Q3) and every Grand Prix with the ~20 real drivers of 2007, weighing each car's performance, driver skill, weather, safety cars and tyre wear. Learn how the simulator works →
Season
2007
Mode
Free duel
Tags
Choose driver, car and season. The engine simulates the full championship with real drivers.