In Japan, Fernando Alonso was astounded by Max Verstappen‘s masterful pole position. The two drivers have often supported each other, a fact that former FIA steward Johnny Herbert has noticed. The Brit understands why the Spaniard is such a fan of the Dutchman, and traces it back to Alonso’s time as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate at McLaren.
Max Verstappen surprised both friends and foes with his masterful fast lap in Japan. The Dutchman unexpectedly took the pole position and subsequently won the race from this starting spot at Suzuka. Fernando Alonso praised the Dutchman for the ‘magical moment’ in Japan. “Only he can do this,” said the Spaniard. “I think there is no other driver at the moment who can push a car so far forward, much further than the car actually deserves.”
‘Bitter’
“I understand why Fernando Alonso strongly supports Max Verstappen,” former FIA steward Johnny Herbert told PokerFirma. According to the analyst, the Spaniard’s support for the four-time world champion is partly due to the fact that he has never been Verstappen’s teammate. “Max and Fernando have never been teammates, Lewis and Fernando have.”
Alonso and Hamilton were teammates at McLaren in 2007. “Alonso was a two-time world champion and full of confidence at the peak of his abilities. He expected that Hamilton, as a young upstart, would be easy to beat, and that didn’t happen,” Herbert continued. “So that battle damaged the relationship from that moment on, purely because Lewis made a powerful entrance and Alonso was not entirely satisfied. He is probably still bitter about what happened at McLaren.”
