'If you put him in a Red Bull, he's as fast as Max'

Max Verstappen won 19 races this season, something no one has ever done before. The three-time world champion stood at a lonely height in 2023, yet according to Emerson Fittipaldi, there is one driver present on the current grid who could make things difficult for Verstappen week in and week out.

"He [Verstappen] is experiencing a top stage in his career, with a very good team and a very good car," Fittipaldi interjected to El Mundo Deportivo. "He is performing like Hamilton dominated for a few years at Mercedes. He gets the best out of it. He as a driver, the team and the car are a very competitive combination, and they are at their best."

When the Spanish newspaper asked the two-time world champion whether Verstappen is better than Alonso or Hamilton, the answer was: "He is very fast, but if you put Alonso in a Red Bull, he is definitely just as fast."

Strong year for Alonso

Alonso enjoyed an excellent season with his new team, Aston Martin, in 2023. The Spaniard scored six podium finishes in the first eight Grands Prix. In the end, he finished on the podium eight times, earning him fourth place in the world championship.