Hamilton vs. Alonso: ''Fernando was more unforgivable than Lewis for the team''

Heikki Kovalainen is one of the few drivers who has been in the team with Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. As a test driver at Renault, he did have the unique opportunity to compare the two stars.

''They are both very fast and know how to work together with the team to get the best out of the car. They really came up with details I would never come up with. They were both very well under pressure as well, as if Fernando was a bit more unforgivable than Lewis in my opinion. He really put everything on the line to win and used mental games to do so," said Kovalainen in the Formula 1 podcast Beyond the Grid.

Hamilton versus Alonso

Hamilton was a little calmer on that score according to the Finn. ''Fernando was a little more aggressive with his feedback, where Lewis could explain very calmly and underpinned what he wanted. There you could really see the difference in temperament. Alonso suited Flavio Briatore much better and Lewis was in place with Ron Dennis.''

''It is clear that they were both very fast and that the two characters are very different. That's why there is always a conflict around the corner with those two, as happened in 2007 when they rode together at McLaren'', concludes the Finn who even managed to win one Formula 1 race for the team of McLaren.