03 June 2023 , 06:00
720
0
Max Verstappen claimed "people will probably start hating me" after claiming Fernando Alonso is more skilled than Lewis Hamilton at some aspects of his driving.
Hamilton and Verstappen truly became Formula 1 rivals in 2021 thanks to their blockbuster title battle. While it ended in far more controversial circumstances than either of them would have wanted, it remains one of the tightest and most memorable championship fights the sport has seen.
We haven't come close to seeing a repeat since, with Hamilton's Mercedes team currently unable to compete with runaway leaders Red Bull. The closest man to them on track is Alonso, who has discovered a new lease of life in F1.
A couple of months shy of his 42nd birthday, the Spaniard is using all his skill experience and enthusiasm to help push his new Aston Martin team up the leaderboard. And Alonso has earned plenty of praise from Verstappen – there is a lot of mutual respect between them.
Speaking to The Times, the Dutchman expressed his belief that only a "few drivers" have the "extra capacity" to think deeper while behind the wheel of an F1 car. And, when giving an example, he spoke about Alonso's talent over that of the seven-time world champion.
Sebastian Vettel warns of looming F1 ban and is "very worried about the future"
"For me, definitely Fernando – I can feel that, from the way he operates in the car, picking up on little things, showing this extra capacity, still driving at the limit but thinking about other stuff as well," he said.
"You are talking to the engineer but I am also hearing a pit stop by a Ferrari car. 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."
Verstappen feels Alonso has more "extra capacity" to use his brain behind the wheel than Hamilton (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)He went on to say that particular skill of Alonso's "stood out more" to him than Hamilton's. Verstappen added: "People will probably start hating me for that, but just that's how I see it."
In Monaco last weekend, when asked by Mirror Sport about the Spaniard, Red Bull chief Christian Horner also heaped praised upon Alonso. He said after that race: "It was only Fernando who was able to stay in touch with Max, to keep within the pit stop window and to be dancing around that safety car window as well.
"It's always great leveller when the circuit is a bit damp or the conditions vary – then you see how the drivers adapt and you can see both of those two guys, they were head and shoulders above the rest of the field.
"It's great to see his confidence and the way he's driving the car. He and Max are very similar in many respects – in the way they drive and how tenacious they are, they're always pushing. You can see that they enjoy that competition as well."