Newly-crowned Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen believes Fernando Alonso is deserving of a front-running seat in the sport.
Alonso returned to F1 in 2021 following a handful of years off the grid and ended the season 10th in the Drivers’ Championship, claiming his first podium finish since 2014 in Qatar.
The Spaniard was enticed to return to F1 by the new technical regulations that are being introduced next year, which he hopes will provide him the chance to compete for a third F1 title.
Teams placed a bulk of their resources in 2021 on the 2022 cars in the hope of starting the sport’s new era off strongly.
Verstappen, who has been complemented by Alonso throughout the 2021 season, says the 40-year-old deserves to be fighting for race wins going forward.
“I would like to see him back at the front,” Verstappen told CarNext.
“He really deserves it, he’s a two-time world champion. It’s also really nice to talk to him and see how he thinks about situations.”
“He also [has] that ‘never give up’ [attitude] and is a real fighter. Unfortunately, in the last few years, he hasn’t been able to do that at the front, because he doesn’t have the car.
“But I like his attitude, he’s really on fire, [has] drive and motivation at his age to still be there in Formula 1, wanting to be there for a longer time.
“He always wants to win, he always wants to do the best. For me, it’s really nice to see.”
Alonso is contracted to the Alpine team for 2022, however his plans beyond the end of next season are yet to be confirmed.
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