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Lewis Hamilton says “it would be really sad” if former team-mate Fernando Alonso hung up his helmet before the pair could fight for the Formula One world championship again.
Having grown frustrated with modern cars and the current state of the sport, the Spaniard, whose McLaren-Honda contract runs until the end of 2017, has already hinted at retirement several times.
“[Alonso]’s still regarded as one of the best, certainly by me, and I really hope McLaren provide him with a car he can win with, so I can race the guy,” the current F1 points leader told Spanish newspaper El Pais.
“If he wants to retire next year, and I didn’t get to race with him again, it would be really sad. It would not be a good show of what this sport is.
“You can’t have someone as gifted as he is at the back and then stopping because he’s not getting another opportunity again. It wouldn’t be right.
"I want to see him continue and I want to fight with him.”
While Hamilton has been racking up the wins and titles in the current turbocharged era, his former nemesis has not had the car to consistently challenge at the front.
The Mercedes ace adds that he has been impressed with how Alonso, whose maiden stint with McLaren ended in acrimony after the pair fell out spectacularly, coped with his team’s trials and travails.
“He’s been really good over these years. I’d have probably been way worse if I was dead last, in a team which should and has won world championships.
“He’s handled it really well and for sure he’s grown a ton over these years and hopefully next year they’ll bring a car he can fight with.”
Alonso, who turned 35 last month, previously said that his decision to extend his F1 career would partly hinge on whether next year's machines, which will lap three to five seconds faster than at present, do indeed deliver better racing.
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