Fernando Alonso has said Max Verstappen’s title rivals have failed to “intimidate” him as he vows to fight the Red Bull driver for the Formula 1 title in 2026.
Alonso failed to score points for Aston Martin as he finished in 11th place at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, while Verstappen sealed his fourth consecutive championship.
The Dutchman joined an exclusive list of F1 champions with four or more World Championships, as he became the sixth driver to do so.
This year’s victory has been hailed by many as Verstappen’s most impressive and hard-fought success due to Red Bull’s decline in competitiveness over the season.
However, Alonso has questioned the mentality of Verstappen’s championship contenders as he signalled his ambitions once the regulations are overhauled in 2026.
“Everyone who has fought Max for championships so far hasn’t managed to intimidate him much,” the Spaniard told DAZN.
“Hopefully it’s my turn someday and I can change that story.
“Congratulations to Max,” he added. “I hope to be there in 2026.”
Alonso applauds Verstappen
The Spaniard expressed how someone needs to take the fight to Verstappen and although he hopes that may be himself, he conceded that he would have to wait until at least 2026.
Of course, Adrian Newey will be designing the Aston Martin challenger for the 2026 season once the new regulations come into force that year.
Despite the fighting talk, Alonso was quick to recognise Verstappen’s achievement after the race.
“Obviously a big, big congratulations [to Verstappen],” he told the media including Motorsport Week.
“This one, it has to feel very special to him I imagine, because the car is not maybe as dominant as last year.
“So I think he did an incredible performance this year to put the car in a position that it was not maybe realistic.
“And the best example is Brazil.
“So yeah, this is all down to him this year and he was the best.
“So always things to learn from a driver like him in this kind of performances this year.”
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