Max Verstappen has been untouchable lately, putting in sublime performances consistently throughout the season. It is quite evident that the Dutchman is nothing less than a generational talent, and he has already admitted himself into the league of Hamiltons and Vettels. However, as reported by BBC, following Verstappen’s record-breaking victory at Zandvoort, Fernando Alonso revealed that the sheer brilliance of Verstappen’s achievements this season hasn’t received the appreciation that it should have.
After starting in pole position in the Dutch GP, Verstappen fell down the grid after Red Bull took too long to call him into the pits to put on the intermediate tires as the rain started pouring him. However, Verstappen charged through the field and was soon on the tail of his teammate, who was holding the lead.
THE HOME HERO 🎉🇳🇱
A dramatic #DutchGP comes to a close and it’s a THIRD home race victory in-a-row for Max Verstappen.
He holds off the challenge of Alonso in P2. A penalty for Perez moves Gasly up to P3. pic.twitter.com/8IfgEw0Jgv
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) August 27, 2023
The Dutchman then pulled off a brilliant undercut and took the lead of the race. Subsequently, Verstappen managed to hold position throughout the race, beautifully managing two rolling restarts and came home to win his 11th race of the season. He was followed by Fernando Alonso, who returned to the podium after an extended break of four races.
Alonso reveals what makes Max Verstappen so different
Following the race, Fernando Alonso showered Verstappen with praises and pointed out that the Red Bull driver deserves much more credit for his achievements than he receives. As quoted by BBC, Alonso said, “It is underestimated sometimes what Max is achieving. To win in such a dominant manner in any sport is so complicated.”
#F1 Alonso a los colegas de The Race @wearetherace:
“Para ganar como lo hace Verstappen hay que estar siempre al 100%, yo me siento así ahora pero hubo carreras en que no lo logré. Él esta casi siempre en ese nivel. Pienso que muchos subestiman lo que está logrando Verstappen” pic.twitter.com/7RcZ7fR3Zi— Fernando Tornello 🌎🏁 (@F1Tornello) August 28, 2023
He went on to comment that Formula 1 drivers are usually very high on self-confidence, and therefore, he feels like even he could have achieved the same if he were in the place of Verstappen. So do the likes of Lewis Hamilton. However, Alonso also understands that there is something that separates Verstappen from the rest of them.
Alonso explained that it is very rare for a driver to walk away from a race being 100% satisfied. There is always a lingering feeling of room for improvement in various aspects. However, it is different for Verstappen. Alonso said, “I think Max is achieving that 100% more often than us at the moment, than any other drivers, and that’s why he’s dominating.”
Is there more to Verstappen’s dominance than the car?
On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton believes that not everything is dependent on the driver, and the dominant Red Bull car has had a huge role in playing Verstappen’s achievements this season. Hamilton had recently said that he can’t cover the deficit between his Mercedes and the Red Bull of Verstappen by raw driving skills.
Verstappen, however, does not subscribe to this thought. Following the Dutch GP, Verstappen pointed out that there have been many cars in the past much more dominant than the RB19. “They haven’t been able to win nine in a row and however many consecutive races we have as a team,” said Verstappen. According to him, there’s much more to it than just the car.
