Fernando Alonso reacts as Lewis Hamilton joins his exclusive F1 club

Fernando Alonso has responded to former title rival Lewis Hamilton joining him in an exclusive Formula 1 club. 

Seven-time world champion Hamilton is set to reach a major F1 milestone at this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, which will mark his 400th race entry and start. 

Hamilton has some way to go to catch F1’s record holder when it comes to race starts, with 45-year-old Alonso sitting on 444 starts from 447 entries heading to Brazil. 

Ahead of the race weekend, Alonso was aked if he welcomes another member to the ‘400 club’, Alonso replied: “Yes, of course. It's a big number. 

“More and more drivers I think will will join the club with these very long calendars. I think if you race 10 years now, you are more than 250 [races].

“Lewis obviously, incredible career in Formula 1 and and 400 races, all of them in a very competitive position. Congratulations to him, and hopefully a good race and good weekend for him.”

Hamilton is four years younger than Alonso so could theoretically catch and overtake his former nemesis at McLaren, though the two-time world champion has signed a contract extension with Aston Martin through to the end of 2027. 

Hamilton will continue to race with Ferrari next season but his long-term future beyond that is uncertain. 

The Briton recently hinted that he is aiming to extend his career into the early 2030s so he can complete his dream of racing at the African Grand Prix. 

Ahead of last weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, Hamilton claimed he is “built differently”. 

“You've never had anyone like me here in the 70 years [of the sport's history], so I feel that I'm built differently,” Hamilton stated in Mexico. 

"Of course, there are challenges up ahead that I can't foresee that come with age. But along this way, along this journey, there have been so many preconceived ideas about the fact that your reaction time drops off.

"Did you see my reaction in the last race? My reaction is faster than some of the youngest people here. There are lots of tools that you can utilise to continue to keep yourself, your mind sharp.

"I guess as long as you're willing to sacrifice everything, which I am right now, I can't say in four years whether I want to continue to do what I'm doing. But I love what I'm doing still now. I'm still all in, and I will be for the foreseeable future."

Hamilton has recorded 106 wins, 105 pole positions, 70 fastest lap and 209 podium finishes across his 399 starts to date.