Who is Max Verstappen's favorite driver on the F1 grid?

During the Monaco GP this weekend, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen picked fellow two-time world champion Fernando Alonso as his favorite driver on the current F1 grid.

Both drivers have showcased mutual admiration for each other since Alonso's return to the grid in 2021 and have gotten closer this season as both have ended up on the podium in five out of the six races so far.

In a video shared by Aston Martin F1 Updates on social media, Verstappen picked Alonso over his good friend Lando Norris, saying:

"Probably Fernando, I get really well with Lando as well, but I have much respect for Fernando at this age to be so committed. I like his style!"

In the post-qualifying press conference, Max Verstappen again praised the Aston Martin, saying:

“No, for me it’s nothing of a surprise. I grew up watching Fernando in F1 and I liked his style and for him to still be here at 41 it’s very impressive. I think it’s a great example for people out there, if you stay committed and believe in yourself, and believe in the opportunities that come to you, then you can show something like he’s doing right now. But, of course, you need also a lot of natural raw talent with that.”

"The rain was coming, and we didn’t know really what was going on" - Max Verstappen

The reigning two-time world champion put on another masterclass by winning the Monaco GP in difficult conditions.

As per F1.com, Max Verstappen said after the race:

“It was quite a difficult one because we were on the medium initially and Fernando was on the hard tire. We didn’t want to go that long, but we had to. The rain was coming, and we didn’t know really what was going on. The tires were graining and then took a few laps to get through that graining phase the pace picked up a little bit, but it was still very tricky to drive. Then it started to rain lap by lap, and then we had to make the call to go on to the inters."

He added:

“It was incredibly slippery. When you are that far in the lead you don’t want to push too hard, but you don’t want to lose too much time, so it’s quite difficult in that scenario. I clipped the walls a few times, it was super difficult out there, but that’s Monaco!”