Fernando Alonso showed admiration for what Max Verstappen is achieving this season with his utter dominance of Formula 1, but the older double World Champion suggests the Red Bull ace is not getting all the credit he deserves.
Fresh from winning the Dutch Grand Prix for a third year in a row, delighting his loyal Orange Army yet again, while tying with Sebastian Vettel's remarkable nine victories in a row, 46 in total so far in his career, Verstappen is a step closer to a treble F1 crown, and he's only 25!
On Sunday at Zandvoort, the only driver who came close to matching the local hero in the #1 Blue car was Alonso. Again the Spaniard extracted the maximum from the Aston Martin and chased the Red Bull gamely and with intent. Second place, from fifth on the grid, was the veteran's reward as was the Driver of the Day accolade.
After the Dutch Grand Prix, speaking to reporters about racing and winning in tricky, ever-changing conditions that prevailed on Sunday over Zandvoort, Alonso said: "It is underestimated sometimes what Max is achieving. I think to win in such a dominant matter in any of the professional sports, is so complicated."
Alluding to a question that suggested it was perhaps the car more than the driver that was enabling Verstappen to dominate in such a manner, Alosno reckoned: "To be at the same level of him, obviously, we drivers, in general, have a lot of self-confidence.
"So I do believe that I can do good as well. I don’t know about Lewis, but me, yes! And Lewis as well, and everyone, I think you need to enter in a mood, in a state that you are, as I said before, connected with a car.
"I think on days like today, I felt that I was at my best and have been giving 100% of what I felt and my abilities on a racing car, but maybe in Spa I was not at that level or in Austria or something like that. So you always feel that there is room to improve and you are not 100% happy with yourself, as I am today.
"And I think Max is achieving that 100% more often than us at the moment, than any of the drivers, so that's why he's dominating," explained Alonso, after his 105th F1 podium celebration in a career spanning over two decades in the top flight.
At the Italian Grand Prix this weekend at Monza, Verstappen could make it ten GP victories in a row, eclipsing Vettel who he is now tied on with nine consecutive wins.
Latest News
Loading
