Alonso tips Lewis Hamilton as next season’s title contender

London: Formula One ace Fernando Alonso has tipped Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes as the major title contenders for the next Grand Prix season.

Even though the departing McLaren ace has written off 2013 as a building year at his new team, the Spaniard is convinced the combination will be too powerful to ignore. “Nico and Lewis together with Mercedes can be serious contenders for next year and in the future, who knows? I have always had a lot of respect for Lewis, he is probably the best, or one of the best, here,” a daily quoted Alonso, as saying. The Spaniard, who has never won at Interlagos, must beat the odds to become the sport’s youngest triple champion. Vettel’s 13-point lead means Alonso must at least finish on the podium in the weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix. “If we win the race I will be very happy but we need some strange combination of results to become champion,” said Alonso. “There is always pressure in Formula One but I think there is less than if we were leading the championship. We have nothing to lose really,” he added. ANI