"Alonso the flip-flopper": Fans react to Fernando Alonso praising Lewis Hamilton 

F1 fans were left miffed after Fernando Alonso praised his rival Lewis Hamilton in an interview and labeled the Spaniard as a 'flip-flopper'.

The Spanish driver never really holds back when it comes to taking shots at his former McLaren teammate in the press. However, he recently complimented the seven-time world champion and even termed him as an inspiration for himself.

Speaking with GQ, Fernando Alonso claimed it was inspiring to see Lewis Hamilton still being motivated despite not having the fastest car in the sport right now. He said:

“It’s difficult to say. We have different personalities and motivations. Lewis always did really well to stay focused and competitive in the periods of his life when he didn’t have a competitive package. Those periods weren’t many, but he was always performing to a high level."

"Now, he does not have the best car, Red Bull is dominating but he’s still fighting always. He’s chasing Perez in P2 and he’s never giving up. It motivates all of us to see how Lewis keeps the motivation after winning so many titles.”

F1 fans took to social media to share their reactions to Alonso's comments, with one fan claiming that Alonso was a flip-flopper, writing:

"Nothing to see there. Alonso the flip-flopper."

Here are some more reactions:

Fernando Alonso reveals how he signed for Aston Martin

Alonso's move to Aston Martin last season was one of the biggest news in the transfer market as he was set a sign a contract extension with Alpine. On his decision to choose Aston Martin over Alpine, he explained:

“I spoke with Lawrence [Stroll, owner of Aston Martin] about the possibility of joining the team after Sebastian Vettel's [retirement] announcement and he was very convincing in selling the project and all the new people that were joining."

"There was also a new factory being built and coming into place this year, so there was a big project behind this team, and it was happening, it wasn’t just talk. Facts were supporting Lawrence’s words. I thought it was a logical move for me if I wanted to aim for something higher than my previous team. It didn’t take long for us to join forces.”

It will be fascinating to see if Fernando Alonso can guide Aston Martin to championships in the future and help the team build on their momentum from the 2023 season.