Horner praises Alonso as he highlights key similarity with Verstappen

Christian Horner has drawn comparisons between Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen, having praised Alonso for being Verstappen's main opponent in the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.

Alonso nearly grabbed pole position in Saturday's qualifying for the race before Verstappen put in an impressive lap to narrowly beat the Spaniard.

With the two lining up alongside each other on the front row, Alonso's Aston Martin was unable to match the pace of the Red Bull, but the two-time World Champion still proved to be Verstappen's closest challenger during the event.

Horner was impressed with Alonso's performance, with the Red Bull Team Principal stating that he and Verstappen were "head and shoulders" above the rest of the field in the dry-wet race.

Verstappen and Alonso stand out in Monaco

"[Aston Martin] are the closest [to Red Bull]," Horner told media, including RacingNews365.com.

"You can see the rest of the field were a long way behind. It was only Fernando that was able to stay in touch with Max, keep within a pit stop window, dancing around that Safety Car window as well.

"It's always a great leveller when the circuit goes a bit damp or the conditions vary – then you see how the drivers adapt, and you can see both of those two guys were head and shoulders above the rest of the field."

Similarities between Verstappen and Alonso

Horner has praised the "confidence" with which Alonso is driving, and feels that the approach taken by the two drivers is very similar.

"It's great to see his confidence, the way he's driving the car," Horner explained.

"He and Max are very similar in many respects; the way they drive, how tenacious they are. They're always pushing, and you can see that they enjoy that competition as well."

While Verstappen has a 39-point lead over second-placed Sergio Perez in the World Championship standings, Alonso is now only 12 points away from Perez after the Mexican failed to score points in Monaco.