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Fernando Alonso has named Max Verstappen the best competitor he has ever faced on track, placing the Red Bull driver above Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton in his personal hierarchy. Speaking to Viaplay, the Aston Martin driver gave Verstappen a rating of 9.9 out of 10, citing the four-time world champion's near absence of weaknesses as the defining factor in a career that has spanned more than two decades at the top level.
Alonso's assessment carries particular weight. He has raced against every generation of talent since his 2001 debut, including Schumacher during the German's Ferrari years, Hamilton across multiple championship battles, and now Verstappen in the Dutchman's dominant phase. The judgment is not sentimental. Alonso, known for his unsparing self-belief, added with characteristic humour that he considers himself a perfect 10.
Verstappen's Zandvoort record underscores Alonso's point. The Dutchman won three consecutive home races between 2021 and 2023, with two additional podiums before his first-lap crash in 2024. Those wins came in vastly different competitive contexts, from the tightest title fight in modern F1 history to near-total dominance, yet the result remained consistent.
The 0.1 nobody has found
"I give Max a 9.9. Why not a 10? Because I'm convinced he has a weak spot somewhere. Everyone does. We just haven't found his yet," Alonso told Viaplay. The Spaniard's phrasing is revealing. He frames Verstappen's potential flaw not as a known quantity to exploit, but as an unsolved puzzle. That alone distinguishes Verstappen from other drivers Alonso has competed against, many of whom carried visible vulnerabilities under pressure, in the wet, or in wheel-to-wheel combat.
Alonso acknowledged that Verstappen's early career offered brief windows of opportunity. "When Max was seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, he had too much energy sometimes. He'd make a mistake, like entering the pit lane too fast. That's normal at that age. But after his second or third season, you didn't see that anymore," Alonso said. The timeline aligns with Verstappen's development. His 2018 season marked the end of high-profile errors; from 2019 onward, consistency became his signature.
What Alonso's praise reveals about the grid
"After that, it was just perform, perform, perform. He was exceptional and raised the bar for everyone. If you want to beat Max on track, you simply have to become better yourself," Alonso continued. The statement doubles as both compliment and indictment. Verstappen's standard has redefined what constitutes elite performance in F1, forcing rivals to confront their own limitations rather than exploit his.
Alonso also praised the atmosphere at Zandvoort, drawing a comparison to football. "The Dutch fans realise how special the driver is that they have. The atmosphere during this Grand Prix is completely different because of that. It almost reminds me of a football match: when a goal is scored, everyone goes completely mad. You get that feeling here too. When the cars go down the straight or through a corner, you feel the energy from the crowd."
The broader implication of Alonso's assessment is clear. Verstappen has not only dominated the current era but has also earned the respect of a driver whose career overlaps with three distinct generations of F1 talent. Whether the 0.1 Alonso references exists or remains theoretical may determine how Verstappen's legacy is ultimately judged.
Dutch Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
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