Alonso makes 'easy' claim for Hamilton and Vettel in latest Verstappen praise

Fernando Alonso has heaped further praise on Max Verstappen's abilities as he aimed a sly dig at fellow world champions Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.  Alonso was in an effusive mood in Japan, as he labelled Verstappen "magical" for his pole lap that set up an unexpected victory at Suzuka, with Red Bull struggling with its RB21 car. The Aston Martin driver has been particularly vocal about Verstappen's skills, and through the years, has indicated that the successes of Vettel and Hamilton between 2010 and 2020, when they only failed to win the 2016 title between them was more down to their Red Bull and Mercedes cars than the drivers themselves. Speaking once again about Verstappen, Alonso, himself a two-time world champion, indicated that he felt Verstappen's world titles were fought for harder than either Vettel or Hamilton, although he did not directly name the two drivers. “I think he is the best, I’ve been saying this for the last few years now, and he has reached a level that [no other driver has],” Alonso told media including RacingNews365 . “I like it when people are not winning with the best car, and everyone is agreeing on that.  “There were a couple of years of domination lately in the last 20 years, with great drivers and great talent and teams but the victories were on the easy side.  “With Max, in part of 2022, the Ferrari was strong, and last year he had some strong competitors, and this year as well, and obviously with 2021 with Lewis [Hamilton].  “So all the championships Max has won so far, apart from 2023, they were in a more fighting way than the last two eras of champions.”