12/05/2016
NEWS STORY
Whether, like Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton really was totally in the dark regarding last week's big news at Red Bull which saw Daniil Kvyat and Max Verstappen swap seats, the Briton admits he is mystified by the decision.
Moments earlier, when asked about the decision, Alonso had claimed to know nothing about the move, with Hamilton subsequently admitting to the Spaniard that he too was unaware. However, when pressed, the world champion admitted to being surprised by the Austrian team's decision.
"It's a good opportunity for one and for the other very unfortunate," he said. "Red Bull has done well in bringing young talent forwards but they need to be aware young drivers need time to progress. Mistakes do happen.
"There is so much pressure on us," he continued, "particularly at a young age, there is so much to learn and a lot of pressure on our shoulders. To take a driver out of a team where he is comfortable and move into another one, it's a difficult position to be in. Do I agree with it? It doesn't really matter, but it's definitely not something I would particularly do.
"A young driver is going to grow in their own time," he added. "I crashed on my first day of driving and the first days were really difficult but the team can be a real help in those situations.
"They have two fantastic drivers here and I hope it doesn't hinder either drivers' career, because they have bright futures. Too much pressure early on can lead to it going the wrong way."
"The important thing is that both of them race for many years in F1," added Alonso, "because they have the potential talent to be world champions."
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