Alonso: “Max is special”

Two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso believes Max Verstappen is ‘special’ and could very well already be the best driver on the grid. The Dutchman from Belgium, who made it in F1 at the age of just 17, currently has already 8 Grand Prix victories to his name.

His blistering pace and his fantastic overtaking capacity is unquestionable, but his hot headed approach can sometimes draw criticism.

However, Alonso thinks this is what makes him “exciting” to watch, while his overtaking ability is another reason why he views the 22-year-old as the best F1 has to offer currently.

Asked during a press conference in Buenos Aires about who he rates the best in F1, Alonso said, as quoted by Motorsport.com:

“In F1 it is difficult to choose the best because it changes a lot from year to year and from car to car. There are drivers who are fast over one lap and others at the starts. There are others who are consistent and others who are very aggressive.

“I would say that right now it [the best] is Max Verstappen. He is a driver that I like to follow. This year I’ve watched the races on television and I like to see him because he is always in attack mode.

“If you see that he is third and catches the guy in second, you know he won’t stay there. You know he will try at some point [to get past] and that to the fans is something exciting.

“But that aggressiveness also makes you lose points because you sometimes run into problems. It is difficult to find the balance.”

Alonso left F1 at the end of 2018 to explore opportunities outside of the series, and he admits having met excellent drivers in other categories. “There are very good drivers out there, I have learned a lot from some of them, in each category I’ve been, but definitely Max is special.”