Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso has expressed his appreciation of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, hailing the Dutchman’s "normal" approach to life outside the F1 cockpit.
When not at a Grand Prix weekend, two-time World Champion Verstappen tends to eschew a jet-setting celebrity lifestyle, and is often seen at home in Monaco with girlfriend Kelly Piquet and her daughter Penelope.
The Dutchman is also known for his fondness of sim racing, and frequently posts videos of him competing in iRacing events on his home simulator.
Speaking to the BBC, Alonso said he admired Verstappen's dedication to his craft and his shunning the trappings of fame.
"I like Max. He's a driver who comes Thursday to the circuit, dresses in a Red Bull uniform, races Saturday and Sunday and leaves the track, goes back home and is still racing on the sim or in GTs with his father [ex-F1 driver Jos Verstappen], or just enjoying motorsport in general but having a normal life," said Alonso.
"Coming also from the Netherlands, [a country] with not much background of F1. He's still a very normal person, just loving motorsport, and he's very fast.
“I think his attitude and behaviour here in the circuit, he is very normal and I like these kinds of things."
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Verstappen "would like to see" Alonso win again
Alonso's appreciation for Verstappen seems to be mutual, with the Dutchman saying earlier this year that he would like to see the Spaniard win his 33rd Grand Prix – more than ten years after his 32nd win in the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.
"I think Fernando should have won already a lot more races then he has done," Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365.com.
"I think he deserves a lot more. I would be quite happy to see him win number 33, but also, in a way, I would like to see him win more.”
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