Fernando Alonso picks who is ‘a step above’ between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen

The Spaniard has analysed who, out of the F1 title rivals, stands out to him as the superior driver ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso has sided with Max Verstappen over Lewis Hamilton while assessing which Formula 1 title rival is the superior driver right now.

The Mercedes and Red Bull drivers meet one final time in the finale to the 2021 F1 season in Abu Dhabi.

But despite the Briton and Belgian-Dutch stars tied up on points in the Drivers’ Championship heading into Sunday, Alonso believes Verstappen “deserves” a maiden world title.

“Both of them are driving amazing and no mistakes and pushing the limits every race,” the two-time world champion said, as reported by Crash.

“You see that they are first and second in every race because they are at another level - so that’s fantastic to see how they push each other. But I don’t know, this final race is going to be tense for sure for them, we will see.

“It will depend on the package, a little bit. Mercedes I think are performing a little bit more now and they have won a couple of races since but Max is driving, in my opinion, one step ahead of all of us and we saw the lap in Jeddah until he touched the wall in the last corner.

“That lap was coming from Max, not the Red Bull I think, but that’s my opinion. Mercedes, they deserve the constructors’ championship because I think their car is superior and Max maybe overall in the year was driving one step ahead of everyone.

“It’s not that I support Max, I think he deserves it or he was driving, in my opinion as I said, everyone has a different opinion, I think he was driving that Red Bull to another level. I think no advice because they are very well prepared, they are committed, they are fast, they are professional, no mistakes, both of them driving at the limits so I think it’s very interesting to watch from the outside. They are very well prepared and that’s good.”