![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/73\/590x\/secondary\/Hamilton-Alonso-McLaren-4988952.jpg?r=1696241845058\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey has suggested that Fernando Alonso has mellowed out since his fierce team-mate rivalry with Lewis Hamilton back in 2007, and that it would be a different story if he were to partner the seven-time champion or Max Verstappen in 2023.<\/p>\n
While the unbeatable performance of the RB19 is allowing Verstappen to dominate the Drivers\u2019 Championship in 2023, the incredible showings from the legendary duo of Alonso and Hamilton have got fans dreaming of a three-way fight between the trio.<\/p>\n
Alonso has already stood on the podium seven times this season, collecting 174 of Aston Martin\u2019s 221-point tally, while Hamilton scored a pole position in Hungary and sits third in the standings with six rounds of the season remaining.<\/p>\n
When asked about the idea of having two world champions as team-mates, Newey told the Beyond The Grid<\/em> podcast: \u201cIt\u2019s a difficult one to manage. But, ideally, there are some drivers who will be happy battling each other on the track, but not bring it into the garage, and other drivers who will perhaps turn it into a bit of a political game.<\/p>\n Click here to join our WhatsApp community to be the first to receive breaking and exclusive F1 news.<\/strong><\/p>\n Don’t miss… <\/strong> Hamilton comes clean on Ferrari talks as Norris weighs in on Max Verstappen row[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a difficult one, like anything, politics is such a kind of destructive force because it just saps everybody\u2019s energy. I mean, Fernando is one of the most formidable competitors ever, and famous for not getting on that well with his teammates.<\/p>\n \u201cIf let\u2019s say, it was Max versus Fernando, or Lewis versus Fernando again, would Fernando, with all that experience he now has, be different from Fernando versus Lewis of [2007]? I think Fernando would be different now, he\u2019s mellowed.\u201d<\/p>\n Having two drivers with title-winning potential can be an issue, but it is not one facing Red Bull currently. Sergio Perez heads into the final six rounds of the 2023 campaign with a 177-point deficit to Verstappen in the standings.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/73\/590x\/secondary\/Max-Verstappen-Red-Bull-4988961.jpg?r=1696241845321\")
<\/p>\n