Echoing Max Verstappen’s Mentality, Fernando Alonso Reveals Must-Haves to “Overdeliver”

“I would never admit that I’m not the best in the paddock.” There are not a lot of things Formula 1 fans agree on, but one thing that’s become widely accepted in the past couple of years is that Max Verstappen is one of the best drivers to have raced in the sport. Right now, he’s the best driver on the grid. The Number 1 on his car is proof enough, but he’s not the only two-time champion with this mindset. Fernando Alonso has just as much faith in his abilities as Verstappen.

In an interview with Dutch magazine De Telegraaf, Verstappen said, “A driver must always be convinced of his own abilities. Even if you are not the best driver, you still need to radiate this concept to those around you and think this about yourself.” The power of belief has driven the Dutchman to the helm of F1 within no time, just like Alonso did after joining the sport. Turns out, they have more than just two championships in common.

The secret to Fernando Alonso’s success

Making your way into F1 is tough, but ensuring you stay in it is tougher. That’s something Fernando Alonso has gotten so used to over the years that delivering just comes naturally to him. Much like Verstappen, he’s been outperforming his Aston Martin teammate, Lance Stroll, consistently this season. It raises the question: are Stroll and Sergio Perez underdelivering, or are Alonso and Verstappen overdelivering? Technically, it’s both. Their teammates have had underwhelming performances, but there’s no doubt the two-time champions are more than maximizing their cars’ potential.

In an interview on High Performance’s YouTube channel, Alonso was asked how he manages expectations, considering his success and recognition. The Spaniard replied, “When I have this pressure or feel that I have to deliver high expectations, I try to calm myself. I normally have a lot of self-confidence. I think that’s very important to have confidence on what you’re doing, on what you’re capable of.” Like Verstappen, he, too, believes self-confidence is what matters at the end of the day. No matter how fast their car is, if a driver doesn’t have faith in their abilities, delivering time and again becomes challenging.

Alonso continued, “That releases a little bit of pressure, and you are able to overdeliver if you have that confidence in yourself.” Alonso has proven he can trust himself completely and deliver whenever the team requires him to. If you think about it, Alonso and Verstappen are more similar than people think.

Read More: “Just Drive Man & Shut Up”: Fans Enjoy Max Verstappen Being Shut Up in an Attempt To Emulate Fernando Alonso

While the Dutchman has surpassed almost every Alonso statistic, there’s one area where the Spaniard still has some bragging rights.

Fernando Alonso has a target on his back

The 2023 season so far has seen Alonso in his AMR23 chasing Verstappen in his RB19. While this saga is set to continue even as F1 returns after the summer break, Alonso will have a target on his back for Verstappen to catch, too. At the Belgian GP, Verstappen won the race starting from P6 on the grid. By doing that, he surpassed Lewis Hamilton‘s record for winning races from eight different starting positions.

With nine starting positions on his list, Verstappen is now level with Alonso’s statistic, a joint record. At the Dutch GP this weekend—his home race—not only can Verstappen equal Sebastian Vettel’s 2013 record of winning 9 consecutive races, but also surpass Alonso’s record for winning a race from 10 different starting positions. For that to happen, the highest he can start the race would be in P5 or P8 at best. Although Verstappen might not find that ideal, the Orange Army would sure love to see their idol fight through the field.

Do you find any other similarities between Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen?

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