Fernando Alonso says F1 is unfair to Max Verstappen, Damon Hill strongly disagrees. Damon Hill hits back after Fernando Alonso claims F1 has treated Max Verstappen unfairly.

Max Verstappen’s struggles

After winning four consecutive Formula 1 world championships between 2021 and 2024, Max Verstappen is enduring a challenging season, highlighted by his lack of race victories. From the opening round of the championship through to the British Grand Prix, where he retired late in the race after a spin that left the Dutch driver visibly furious, the Red Bull driver has yet to stand on the top step of the podium. Throughout the campaign, he has also repeatedly criticized the new Formula 1 technical regulations introduced for this season.

Alonso defends Verstappen

Another multiple world champion, Fernando Alonso, who has not won a Formula 1 race since 2013, has also voiced criticism of the current state of F1. The Aston Martin driver believes today’s cars restrict the ability of talented drivers to fully showcase their skills.

Speaking in a recent interview with the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, the 44-year-old argued that it was unfair for Max Verstappen not to be fighting for the Formula 1 world championship this season. Fernando Alonso said that Max Verstappen is the best driver on the grid, yet he is likely to finish only fifth or sixth in the standings. He added that he was unsure whether Formula 1 was somewhat unfair in that respect, but felt there was little point trying to explain the situation to those who were unwilling to understand it.

Hill hits back

Damon Hill, the 1996 Formula 1 world champion, strongly disagreed with Fernando Alonso’s assessment. In a post on his Instagram profile, the British former driver dismissed the Aston Martin driver’s comments, describing them as nonsense and stating that he strongly disagreed with Alonso’s opinion on the matter.

Now a commentator for BBC Radio 5 Live, the 65-year-old became widely known in 2024 after comparing Max Verstappen to Dick Dastardly, the dishonest villain from the animated series Wacky Races. More recently, Damon Hill also responded to Alain Prost’s view that Max Verstappen’s driving style resembles that of Niki Lauda. Hill agreed that Verstappen rarely put a foot wrong, but argued that Lauda raced with his head rather than with his fists.