Verstappen "unfortunately" never battled Alonso

Max Verstappen has admitted it is "unfortunate" he never got to battle Fernando Alonso at his prime whilst racing in Formula One.

Alonso has now retired from F1, finally calling it a day following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Verstappen has been racing in F1 since 2015, where he started at Toro Rosso - before eventually being promoted to Red Bull Racing.

The Dutchman has been involved in some spectacular battles with drivers already in his three-year career. Verstappen is not one to back down from a duel and has battled the likes of Kimi Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton this season.

However, Verstappen finds it a "bit of a pity" that he never got to properly battle the retiring Alonso.

"Of course Fernando was also in Formula One, but due to the problems of his team (McLaren), he always drove far behind. It never came to a duel. I deeply regret that," the 21-year-old told Speedweek.