Verstappen driving “one step ahead of everyone”, deserves F1 title - Alonso

Verstappen goes into this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix level on points with Lewis Hamilton.

The Dutchman has taken more pole positions and race victories than his title rival, but crucial lost points in Azerbaijan, Britain and Hungary - through incidents that were mostly out of his control - has meant the title race has gone down to the wire.

SEE ALSO: Who deserves the 2021 F1 title more? Our verdict

Giving his opinion on this year’s title race, Alonso believes Verstappen has out-performed his car at times in 2021, citing his breathtaking Q3 lap in Jeddah.

“Both of them are driving amazing and no mistakes and pushing the limits every race,” Alonso said. “You see that they are first and second in every race because they are in another level so that’s fantastic to see how they push each other. But I don’t know, this final race is going to be tense for sure for them, we will see.

“It will depend on the package, a little bit. Mercedes lately I think is a little bit more performing and they won a couple of races now but Max is driving, in my opinion, one step ahead of all of us and we saw the lap in Jeddah until he touched the wall in the last corner.

“That lap was coming from Max, not the Red Bull so I think in a way, but that’s my opinion. Mercedes, they deserve the constructors’ championship because I think the car is superior and Max maybe overall in the year was driving one step ahead of everyone.”

Alonso refused any suggestions that he is ‘supporting’ Verstappen in the title finale but reiterated that he thinks he’s driving “to another level”.

“It’s not that I support Max, I think he deserves it or he was driving, in my opinion as I said, everyone has a different opinion, I think he was driving that Red Bull to another level,” Alonso explained.

“I think no advice because they are very well prepared, they are committed, they are fast, they are professional, no mistakes, both of them driving at the limits so I think it’s very interesting to watch from the outside. They are very well prepared and that’s good.”