Revealed: Why Fernando Alonso is such a big fan of Max Verstappen

Thomas Maher 04 Aug 2023 3:00 PM

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso with Red Bull's Max Verstappen

Fernando Alonso has long been complimentary of Max Verstappen, and has detailed the reasons why he appreciates the Dutch racer.

While Alonso has had run-ins or contentious moments with most of the top-level drivers he’s encountered during his two decades in Formula 1, Max Verstappen is one of the very few who has earned the praise of the Spaniard on a continuous basis.

The pair have shared the podium on multiple occasions this year, with Alonso frequently slotting in behind Verstappen as Aston Martin proved Red Bull’s closest competitor for most of the first half of the 2023 season.

Why does Fernando Alonso like Max Verstappen’s approach?

Away from the racetrack, the reigning World Champion is known for his appreciation of privacy with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet and her daughter Penelope, and Verstappen spends a lot of his free time at home playing iRacing on his home simulator.

It’s in this normalcy that Alonso says he can identify with Verstappen, and he explained that the Dutch driver’s ability to separate his job from his home life is something he admires.

“I like Max,” Alonso told the BBCin an extensive interview.

“He’s a driver who just comes Thursday to the circuit, dresses in a Red Bull uniform, races Saturday and Sunday and leaves the track, goes back home, and is still racing on the sim or in GTs with his father or just enjoying motorsport in general but having a normal life.

“Coming also from the Netherlands, [a country] with not much background of F1. He’s still a very normal person, just loving motorsport, and he’s very fast.

“I think his attitude and behaviour here in the circuit, he is very normal and I like these kinds of things.”

While not intended as a dig towards long-time rival Lewis Hamilton, Alonso’s comments could shed some light on why he and his former McLaren teammate and long-time grid rival don’t always see eye-to-eye – Hamilton’s embracing of the celebrity lifestyle and extensive travel to celebrity events being in stark contrast to Verstappen’s lifestyle.

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Does Max Verstappen return the favour towards Fernando Alonso?

The Dutch driver recently expressed his admiration of Alonso’s talent and longevity in Formula 1, and even said he’d love to see the Spaniard rack up career win number 33, provided it doesn’t come at his expense!

Speaking at this year’s Monaco Grand Prix, where the pair were first and second in qualifying before repeating the result in the race, Verstappen joked about letting the Aston Martin driver have a shot at the win.

“I’d like to see Fernando win, but I’d also like to see myself win. It’s difficult, I’ll think about it!” he said.

“[Alonso’s speed] no surprise to me, I grew up watching Fernando in F1 and I liked his style and the fact that he’s still here at 41, it’s very impressive and I think it’s a great example for people.”

“If you stay committed, believe in yourself, believe in the opportunities that come to you, then you can show things like he is doing at the moment. But of course you also need a lot of natural raw talent to do that.”