Alonso's Verstappen confession highlights F1 'brutality'

Fernando Alonso has suggested "19 drivers" know that Max Verstappen will be World Champion at the end of the upcoming season.

The Dutchman has taken each of the last three Drivers' titles, the last two coming unrivalled having twice broken the F1 record for most wins in a single season.

With Red Bull beaten only once last season and hitting the ground running in the Bahrain pre-season test, two-time champion Alonso has provided a downcast prediction on whether there will be a championship battle when racing gets underway next week.

'Max is World Champion'

On his early predictions following testing, Alonso said: “I don't have a crystal ball to know what the others are doing.

“I think Max is the World Champion and Red Bull is dominating the sport. Also, the concept that they presented this year, it's also a surprise.

“At the moment, we just have to watch them and see how they perform.

“I think 19 drivers in the paddock now will think that [they] will not win the championship.

“It happens 99% of the time in your career. This is a brutal sport.”