Who does Fernando Alonso find harder to beat on the circuit: Max Verstappen or Michael Schumacher? The Spaniard chooses the Dutch world champion, and then praises Verstappen: ‘He is a 9.9, because only I am a 10,’ he jokes, before also explaining why the Red Bull driver deserves such a high score.
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Fernando Alonso, at 45 years old, is the most experienced driver on the current grid. The Spaniard started in Formula 1 back in 2001, making him the only active driver who has raced against both Michael Schumacher and Max Verstappen in their prime. Although Schumacher has three more world titles than the Dutchman, Verstappen is the stronger opponent for Alonso of the two.
‘A 9.9’
When asked by Viaplay what score Verstappen would get on a scale from one to ten, Alonso said: “A 9.9. Only I am a 10! No, a 9.9, because I’m sure he has a few weak points. We all do. But it is indeed a super high score.” The Aston Martin driver then praises the Dutchman. “He is the best competitor I have ever had on the circuit, especially because he basically has no weak spots. He is a 9.9. We just need to find that last tenth. I’m sure he has a weak spot.”
Alonso then looks back on Verstappen’s early days in Formula 1. At that time, the driver still had a bit ‘too much energy,’ in the Spaniard’s words, which sometimes led to mistakes. “But after his second or third year: no more mistakes, no more missteps, just performing, performing, performing. He was exceptional, and I think he has raised the bar for all of us. If you want to beat Max on the circuit, you just have to get better.”
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