Max Verstappen cruised to victory at the 2023 Belgian GP despite Sergio Perez starting four places ahead of him. Keeping the first few rounds aside, Perez has not been of any threat to Verstappen whatsoever and is being comprehensively outperformed, as was visible in Spa this weekend. However, Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko believes he knows one driver who can challenge Verstappen in an equal car. That driver is none other than Fernando Alonso.
Marko chose to name Alonso ahead of many other heavyweight stars who could be capable of matching Verstappen’s level. The Austrian boss snubbed Lewis Hamilton, who had a much better career than Alonso statistically, with seven world titles to his name compared to Alonso’s two.
Hamilton was also the last driver who properly challenged Verstappen for the title when they went head-to-head in the controversial 2021 season. He even overlooked Charles Leclerc, who has been linked with Red Bull.
Only Fernando Alonso can match Max Verstappen
It must be noted that Fernando Alonso is 42 years old and showing no signs of slowing down. He was a regular feature on the podium towards the start of the season before Aston Martin slowly fell behind McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari.
Following the Belgian GP, Helmut Marko spoke to DAZN presenter Albert Fabrega about the race. He said, “The only driver who could beat Verstappen is Alonso. Although, without the same car, it is very difficult”
Alonso had a very strong race in Belgium. He started from P9 but made his way up to fifth when he crossed the chequered flag. It is clear that Marko holds the Aston Martin driver in very high regard. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez, will be hoping for some similar feedback from his boss soon.
Marko’s expectations from Sergio Perez
Marko recently made a controversial claim that Perez has finally given up on his dream of becoming an F1 world champion. The 80-year-old stated that this realization would only help Perez as he would be able to focus on improving his own performance, rather than trying to beat Verstappen.
Marko has always maintained that beating Verstappen is next to impossible. Therefore, the only expectation that the team has from Perez is to help the team secure the Constructor’s title. As long as Perez can contribute that much, his position is safe.
