Johnny Herbert takes a jab at Fernando Alonso: “He backs Max Verstappen to get at Lewis Hamilton”. Johnny Herbert on Fernando Alonso's support for Max Verstappen.

“Only Max could do a lap like that, we have to learn from him,” these are just some of the sweet words Fernando Alonso used to describe Max Verstappen’s performance at the Japanese Grand Prix, which was held last weekend at the Suzuka International Circuit. It’s no surprise that the Spaniard has a special fondness for the world champion and uses every opportunity to support him, but what stands out is that he reserves this friendly behavior only for him; Fernando Alonso is known for his fiery character, and it’s strange to see this softer side. In fact, according to Johnny Herbert, there may be a hidden agenda behind his statements.

“Max and Alonso have never been teammates, while Hamilton and Alonso have. In 2007, the two-time world champion was very confident in McLaren, and he even thought Hamilton would be an easy prey to beat. However, history turned out differently, and their relationship broke down. He probably still has a bitter taste in his mouth about what happened,” explained the former driver to PokerFirma.

Therefore, supporting Max Verstappen would be a way for the Spaniard to throw jabs at the British driver, as the Dutchman was his last major rival. “I understand why Alonso still feels this way; it’s frustrating when you have potential but can’t show it. And he probably didn’t even feel supported by Ron Dennis,” Johnny Herbert added.