Lewis Hamilton made an appearance at the US Open women’s tennis final over the weekend, attracting Fernando Alonso “is a better driver” banter from retired tennis player turned commentator Feliciano López.
Formula 1 had its first free weekend since the F1 2024 campaign resumed as personnel received some downtime before Round 17 at Baku begins. For Hamilton, he decided to spend some of his free time attending the US Open.
Lewis Hamilton at US Open draws ‘Alonso is better’ banter
The Sky cameras captured Hamilton’s arrival at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, during which 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli could he heard in the background shouting: “Oh my god! Oh my god!”
Bartoli “adores” the seven-time World Champion, Sky presenter Gigi Salmon pointed out, as had become quite clear, and this attracted a friendly dig from another ex-player turned commentator in Feliciano López, a quarter-finalist at the US Open in 2015, as he brought up Hamilton’s F1 rival and first team-mate at McLaren, Fernando Alonso.
“Alonso is a better driver,” said Lopez.
That, as expected, drew a rather animated response from Bartoli.
“No way!” Bartoli shouted.
At that point, Salmon joked to Lopez: “Feli, she’s going to throw you off the top of this balcony if you say things like that.”
Fortunately, Bartoli was still far too laser-focused on the Hamilton footage and trying to find a way to meet him.
“I have to find him, I have to find a way,” she said.
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Aryna Sabalenka went on to claim her first US Open title with a straight sets 7–5, 7–5 victory over Jessica Pegula of the United States.
For Hamilton, the focus returns to Formula this weekend in Baku, as Mercedes continue their search to recapture their pre-summer break form, which had seen them win three out of four races.
However, exactly how competitive Mercedes will be is something which the team stress is hard to pinpoint at this venue.
“Baku’s always been a really difficult circuit to guess where you’re going to fall in the order,” said Mercedes’ trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin in their post-Italian Grand Prix debrief.
“Baku is an unusual circuit because you’ve got this really tight, twisty, very low speed sector two, and then this really long straight.
“It requires a relatively low wing level; that isn’t what you’d normally have with all those low-speed corners, but you’ve got to have it with the long straight.
“It’s also a weekend where you can get a lot of incidents affecting the race, it’s very easy if a driver makes a mistake there that will have to bring out a safety car in order to clear it up.
