Verstappen: Alonso 'a great example' of unyielding commitment to F1
Max Verstappen says Fernando Alonso's presence at 41 among F1's frontrunners is a testimony to the Spaniard's "impressive" self-belief and commitment to the sport.
Alonso's last win in Formula 1 dates all the way back to the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona in 2013.
But a decade on from his last triumph, after spending many years in F1's midfield, the sport's senior citizen is once again a force to be reckoned with thanks to the quality of the equipment supplied to him by Aston Martin.
On Saturday in Monaco, Alonso lost out to Verstappen in qualifying by a mere 0.084s. It was an impressive feat by the F1 veteran, and one that wasn't lost on the Red bull driver.
"It's nothing of a surprise! I grew up watching Fernando in F1, I like his style and for him to still be here at 41, it is very impressive," Verstappen said.
"I think it's a great example for people out there, you know, if you stay committed and believe in yourself, believe in the opportunities that come to you, then you can show something.
"He's doing that right now, and also [showing his] natural raw talent."
Fans and pundits alike were mesmerized by Saturday's dramatic shootout, calling it one of the greatest qualifying battles in the history of the Monaco Grand Prix, or indeed in F1.
Yet Verstappen reckoned that his best effort had not been one of his best qualifying flyers.
"I don't think [it was my best], but it was good enough. I'm just happy to get my first pole here," Verstappen reflected.
"You know, it's always super hectic. We also had clean running in Q3 as well, so that was nice for everyone to just push to the limit.
"The whole session went really well. I struggled a bit in the first lap with worn tyres and putting it all together, all the sectors.
"But I knew that the last time, I had to do it because [Alonso] improved. I also knew going into the last sector I was down on them, so I had to push in the last second and risk everything to get back time."
After qualifying, Alonso noted that Red Bull's car has been typically a bit slow off the line this season, which he believed opens the door for an opportunity to take the lead, although he conceded that it was a short run down to Ste Devote.
But Verstappen was adamant that red Bull's staring issues were a thing of the past.
"It was [an issue]," he added. "But I think from Miami we do have much better starts. We also know why it wasn't top at the beginning of the season, but I can't really say anything else about that.
"I'm not so worried about that anymore."
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