F1: Max Verstappen equals win record with Alonso saying Red Bull driver’s success shouldn’t be underestimated

Max Verstappen has taken home another win at the Dutch Grand Prix, pushing him closer to another record. The Red Bull driver, 25, secured his ninth win in a row, which puts him equal with all-time record holder Sebastian Vettel for the same team in 2013.

Two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso has now said Verstappen’s achievements are being “underestimated”. It followed a difficult race at Zandvoort this weekend with a challenging wet and dry race which saw the race red flagged just laps before the race finished.

Verstappen, yet again, showed his dominance in the sport, securing 13 consecutive wins for Red Bull this season. The win was the Dutch driver’s 11th win in the 13 races that have taken place this season as he edges closer to his third consecutive World Championship title.

Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, was quick to praise the driver, claiming that Verstappen was “untouchable - I don’t think there is any driver on the grid who would be able to achieve what he has been doing in that car”. The consecutive win comes as Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez grows increasingly under pressure to perform after significantly dropping back from the Dutch driver in the championship.

After the race, Fernando Alonso, 42, who came second in the race was asked about his thoughts of Verstappen’s achievements and whether he thought Max’s driving was at a different level compared to the rest of the grid. Alonso said: “It is underestimated sometimes what Max is achieving. To win in such a dominant manner in any sport is so complicated.

“So to be at the same level as him… we have a lot of self-confidence, drivers in general, so I do believe that I can do it as well. I don’t know (about) Lewis, but me yes. And Lewis as well.

“You need to enter in a mood in a state that you are connected to the car. Days like today, I felt like I was at my best and was giving 100% of my abilities in a racing car. But maybe (at the last race) in Spa, or in Austria (three races previously), I was not on that level.

“So you always feel there is room to improve and you are not 100% happy with yourself as I am today. And I think Max is achieving that 100% more often than us at the moment, than any other.”

Verstappen remained modest about his growing achievements, saying: “It was probably one of the more difficult races to win again but nine in a row is something I never even thought about. I am very happy to win in front of my home crowd.”

But Red Bull boss Horner was quick to defend the Dutch driver, adding: “Quietly, he is very proud of what he is doing and achieving. The record Sebastian did in 2013, to win nine in a row is insane, and so to have done it in a team with another driver is something I don’t think any of us could have envisaged.”