Interview with Former Ferrari Driver Jean Alesi: Max Verstappen Is the Favourite To Become Champion Again

Max Verstappen is just amazing. I know it’s still early in the season, and obviously, McLaren has been the fastest car on the grid. It’s a long season. But honestly, I feel Max can win the championship again, because the points he’s scoring right now are very big. He never ever makes even a small mistake — it’s just perfect. It’s pure perfection in driving. We’re talking about a championship of 24 races. And definitely, I believe this season we’ll see different winners, and that will cause a spread in terms of points. But if I have to put my money on a driver, I’ll put it on Max.

At this level, we cannot talk only about the cars. When you see the difference between Max and his teammates, it’s always extremely big. That means he has the capacity to drive the car on the limit and make the difference. He’s a very strong and experienced driver now — Max has won the world championship many times, and he knows how to handle a championship. For sure, McLaren is a very strong team because both drivers are close and doing a good job together. As you rightfully said, they have the fastest car. But honestly, Max is the one who knows how to make a difference.

I think we are very cruel sometimes in our assessment. Of course, Lewis is a superstar — a seven-time world champion — but he changed teams, you know, and he has to find his balance at the moment. He has to learn many things, and he already won a sprint race in China, so it is not like he is very far off the leaders. The numbers in the championship right now don’t look good because both Ferrari drivers were disqualified from the Grand Prix in China, so those zero points weigh heavily this early in the season, with only three races done. But we have to trust in his ability to bring the team back to the winning line. I believe that can happen very soon.

Yes, of course. It would be a mistake for us to forget the Mercedes drivers. For sure, George has the experience, but what Kimi Antonelli is doing is just incredible. This guy is a baby — when I saw him in the lobby an hour ago, I actually thought I was looking at a kid! He’s a new entrant, and he has a very strong team behind him. Every Grand Prix is new for him, and he’s fighting at the top. Really, we have to think about Mercedes as being in the game as well.

Yeah, I mean, for me and for most fans, what happened at Red Bull was very weird. I don’t even know how to express it, but it was too bad for a driver like Lawson. He had absolutely zero chance to recover — two races and out. That was a shock for a lot of people, including myself. Yuki Tsunoda will definitely do a good job, but whether he can be close to Max — I’m not so sure.

Well, yes, of course — Red Bull is totally in the hands of Max in terms of the constructors’ championship. But be careful, the drivers’ championship is going to be very tight, because Mercedes, Ferrari, and of course, McLaren drivers will all be in the mix. All these teams and drivers will fight to win Grands Prix, and that will actually help Max maintain his lead in the championship.