Fernando Alonso has made his verdict clear on Formula 1’s thrilling three-way title battle, insisting if it all comes down to the wire in Abu Dhabi, there’s only one driver built for the moment.
With just five races left on the docket, the stakes are sky-high between McLaren’s chargers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris and their imminent threat, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
The Dutchman’s commanding win in last weekend’s US Grand Prix has slashed Piastri’s lead to a tantalizing 40 points, setting the stage for a blockbuster epilogue. And Alonso, a two-time world champion in his own right, has got his eyes on ‘Maximum Max’.
“Well, I think he’s a four-time World Champion, first of all,” Alonso told reporters. “That’s not a casual thing. He’s one of the best drivers in the history of the sport.
“I think he’s able to extract the maximum from the car. When the car is a dominant car, he can win the championship and break some records along the season.
“And when the car is not that good or not the fastest, he still provides the good lap in qualifying, or the good race, the good fight.”
Alonso’s respect for Verstappen’s craft runs deep – forged in part during F1’s unforgettable 2021 season when the Red Bull driver toppled Lewis Hamilton in a final-race thriller.
The Spaniard knows exactly what it takes to prevail under immense pressure and sees in Verstappen the same unrelenting edge that defines all great champions.
“He’s at a very good level, very high level. And, yeah, this year he’s obviously fighting against a superior car, which is the McLaren,” Alonso said.
While McLaren’s Piastri and Norris have dazzled with speed, neither has faced the cutthroat demands of a full-blown title showdown – something Alonso hinted could prove decisive.
“But, yeah, if it comes to the last race or whatever and they are tight on points, maybe in that moment he becomes the man to follow,” he added.
“As I said before, I think the two McLarens have enough advantage on the car to fight between them.
“But, yeah, with Max, that can happen, as we saw in 2021 when the car was a little bit less performing than the Mercedes. He still won the championship in Abu Dhabi.”
As the 2025 season speeds toward its climax, Alonso’s seal of approval adds extra weight to Verstappen’s pursuit of a fifth world title.
For a driver who thrives when the lights burn brightest, the message from one of F1’s most battle-hardened veterans is crystal clear: when the stakes are highest, Max Verstappen is the man to follow.
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