BBC to revisit Hamilton and Alonso's 2007 McLaren war in new documentary

At the heart of the project is the fierce internal feud that erupted within McLaren between Fernando Alonso, the reigning two-time world champion arriving at the peak of his powers, and Lewis Hamilton, an extraordinary rookie whose instant brilliance shattered team hierarchies from his very first Grand Prix.

What was meant to be a golden era for Ron Dennis’s outfit rapidly deteriorated into open hostility. The film is understood to aim to capture how the conflict split the McLaren garage in two, spilling over into a broader cultural clash between the British and Spanish media and their respective fanbases.

The rivalry reached boiling point during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where pit-lane qualifying tactics and radio fury permanently fractured trust between Alonso and McLaren management.

Beyond the trackside animosity, the documentary will explore the infamous 'Spygate' scandal. The industrial espionage controversy erupted when confidential Ferrari technical dossiers, totaling hundreds of pages, were uncovered in the possession of McLaren personnel.

The fallout rocked the motorsport world, ultimately culminating in an unprecedented $100 million fine and McLaren’s complete disqualification from the Constructors' Championship by the FIA.

Despite possessing the fastest car on the grid, McLaren’s internal war cost both drivers dear. Hamilton seemed destined to capture a historic debut title, only for his campaign to unravel across the final two rounds.

Heartbreak in the Shanghai pit-lane gravel and mechanical troubles at Interlagos opened the door for Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen to snatch the Drivers' Championship by a single point, finishing on 110 ahead of both Hamilton and Alonso tied on 109.

The repercussions of that season continue to reverberate through modern Formula 1. Alonso severed ties with McLaren after just one fractious year, returning to Renault, while Räikkönen's triumph remains Ferrari's most recent drivers' title.

Nearly two decades later, Hamilton's move to Maranello in pursuit of Ferrari's elusive crown brings the dramatic narrative arc of 2007 full circle, making the upcoming retrospective film an essential recounting of one of motorsport's most volatile chapters.