Alonso: Hamilton 'brake test' was Canada 2013 repeat - 'I won both!'

Fernando Alonso has admitted he was trying to avoid giving Lewis Hamilton the DRS during his Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 'brake-test', in scenes similar to the famous 2013 Canadian GP battle.

On Lap 37 as Alonso exited the pits for Aston Martin, he slowed approaching Turn 5 well before the braking zone as Hamilton closed up, but the Mercedes kept behind over the DRS detection line.

Hamilton passed into Turn 6, before Alonso re-passed one lap later and took seventh with Hamilton ninth at the flag, with Hamilton finishing third in the Drivers' and Alonso fourth. It is Alonso's highest finishing position since second to Sebastian Vettel in 2013.

That year in just one of three times Vettel, Alonso and Hamilton shared a podium in Grand Prix racing in Canada, the then Ferrari driver engaged in a game of DRS chicken with Hamilton in Montreal.

Alonso pointed this out when asked about the 'brake-test' - and made it clear that he had emerged victorious on both occasions with his 2007 McLaren team-mate.

Alonso defends brake test

"Lewis is very clever and understands the sport really well, and has a lot of experience, but I have more," Alonso told media including RacingNews365, with his 377 Grand Prix starts to Hamilton's 332.

"We did the same in Canada, I think in 2012 (actually 2013), so [12] years after that episode, we try to give the DRS to the other guy by breaking into Turn 5, but in both cases, I won."

For his part, Hamilton was less than impressed with his old sparing partner.

"We were flat out and 300, 400 metres before the corner, and doing 180 miles per hour and the guy all of a sudden slows down drastically ahead of me."

As for his race, Alonso felt the AMR23 was only good enough for seventh place, referencing a battle with Yuki Tsunoda for the place.

"On Lap 16, we made the first stop, and we knew that the race was going to be long from that point," he said.

"The pace was only good enough for seventh or eighth, and were just able to beat AlphaTauri, so that is not enough."