Fernando Alonso support for Max Verstappen pinned on ‘lingering bitterness’ for Lewis Hamilton

Max Verstappen received words of praise from Fernando Alonso last weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has suggested Fernando Alonso’s praise for Max Verstappen stems from “lingering bitterness” towards Lewis Hamilton.

Alonso and Hamilton spent the 2007 season as team-mates at McLaren with Alonso joining the team off the back of two consecutive titles while Hamilton stepped up to F1 following championship success in GP2.

However, the season was filled with tense moments between the pair, leaving Alonso to exit the team at the end of the campaign.

Hamilton endured various other rivalries during his career, including with Verstappen as they fiercely battled for the F1 title in 2021, colliding on several occasions.

Alonso sent praise Verstappen’s way following his pole position effort at Suzuka last weekend, stating the Red Bull driver is the “reference for all of us”.

Alonso has been complimentary of Verstappen throughout his success-filled years, which Herbert believes is a result of the two enduring a rivalry with Hamilton during their careers.

“I understand why Fernando Alonso is very supportive of Max Verstappen,” Herbert told PokerFirma.

“Max and Fernando haven’t been teammates. Lewis and Fernando have been teammates.

“It was a two-time world champion in Alonso who was full of confidence at the top of his game at McLaren in 2007. He expected Hamilton as the young whippersnapper, to be easily beatable.

“And it didn’t happen that way. So then that fight happened that season harmed the relationship at the end of the day from that point on. Purely because Lewis came in with a mighty bang and Alonso didn’t have it all his own way.

“And he’s probably still got a lingering bitterness because of what happened at McLaren.”

Herbert, who has 160 grand prix starts to his name, admitted he understands why Alonso might feel that way almost 20 years later.

“I get that as a driver,” he added.

“You do get frustrated when you fully believe that you can do the job, and he probably felt he wasn’t supported as much as he felt he should have been by Ron Dennis.

“So anyway, respect to Max. He’s the guy that’s delivering even when he went into a weekend saying, ‘I’ve got no chance.’”