Verstappen braced for hate, implies Alonso better than Hamilton

Of course, history shows there is no love lost between two-time WDC Verstappen and seven-time WDC Hamilton, they have history after all. The 2021 season, the crashes, the bitching, the controversy will remain contentious for Formula 1 eternity.

Bad blood springs to mind and is evident every time the pair battle for the same piece of tarmac, even these days when Lewis is no longer a factor in Max's radar, they are not shy to bend metal and rub wheels. Clearly, the pair trigger red mist when targeting the same bits of tarmac.

In contrast, the affection between Verstappen and Alonso is palpable, the pair genuinely enjoy celebrating on the podium together, as they have frequently this year. In stark contrast to the tense and often gloomy mood that inevitably prevails when Lewis and Max are 'forced' to share a podium.

Furthermore, one could argue that Max would like to dabble in racing beyond F1, perhaps even endurance racing which is also enjoying a renaissance as this year's epic Le Mans 24 Hours proves.

Exactly what Alonso did when during his two-year sabbatical in which he won Le Mans twice and the WEC title in the two tears with Toyota Gazoo Racing. Amazing feats by the Spaniard that clearly impressed the 25-year-old RBR star: “I want to do other things, other competitions. A bit like Fernando did.”

Hamilton, in stark contrast, has never shown interest in any other discipline, bar F1; and has music interests as well as racing (Extreme E) and non-racing related business investments.

During the height of his rule of the F1 roost, in 2017 Hamilton admitted: "There's no other series I am interested to drive in. That's a shame, I wish I had more passion for IndyCar, Le Mans or something similar but that's not the case."

Interviewed by Sunday Times ahead of next weekend's Candian Grand Prix, double F1 World Champion Verstappen was asked what made him such a dominant driver, clearly wearing his heart on his sleeve, the Dutch ace replied: “I like to think that having extra capacity is a big advantage in F1 as well. You cannot train that kind of thing. Only a few drivers have it."

Then he kicked the hornet's nest when asked who of his rivals possess the same genius, Verstappen replied: "For me, definitely Fernando. I feel that, from the way he operates in the car, picking up on little things, still driving at the limit but thinking about other stuff as well showing this extra capacity.

"You are talking to the engineer but I am also hearing a pit stop by a Ferrari car, and I asked: Did they box? I heard that on the radio... But if you are fully focused on your driving, you probably won’t pick it up because you are fully focused on his voice."

Then the bombshell when Sunday Times popped the question: What about Hamilton? Verstappen replied: “No. Fernando stands out more with that. People will probably start hating me for that, but just that’s how I see it.”

Indeed, Alonso is enjoying resurgent form in what is likely to be his F1 swansong with Aston Martin. After years of being victim to his own foibles, at last, he found another 'home' with Lawrence Stroll's mega project, where he is again a Grand Prix podium contender, a weekend in and weekend out, with #win33 trending ahead of every Grand Prix weekend.

The Spaniard's total of 32 F1 wins has already been surpassed by Verstappen who won his 40th F1 race in Spain last weekend, while Hamilton's massive record of 103 wins in the top flight, dwarfs Alonso's tally.

As for experience! At this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, Alonso will be making his 364th Grand Prix start, Hamilton his 318th and Verstappen's 171st. The trio have claimed eleven F1 world titles between them, in less than two decades when Fernando bagged his first in 2005 with Renault.