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Fernando Alonso Drops Truth Bomb on Max Verstappen’s Title Chances

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Samriddhi Jaiswal | Last updated May 28, 2025 12:17 PM ET

Fernando Alonso isn’t betting against Max Verstappen — even as the 2025 season shapes up to be the Dutchman’s toughest title defense yet.

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, Alonso was asked whether Verstappen still had a realistic shot at clinching a fifth world title, especially after a difficult run of races and McLaren’s rising dominance.

The question came just days after the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix, where McLaren outshined Red Bull in both qualifying and race pace — continuing a worrying trend for the reigning champions.

“You don’t rule him out because he’s another driving genius,” Alonso said. “And since we’re talking about Adrian Newey, who could do special things, I think Verstappen can do them too. He’s been doing it this year as well.”

Despite Verstappen’s proven ability to maximize under pressure, Alonso didn’t shy away from pointing out how steep the climb is in 2025. Red Bull, while still competitive, no longer looks untouchable. McLaren, led by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, has surged into title contention, consistently outperforming the Red Bull car across multiple circuits.

“This year is surely the toughest of all the championships he’s entered,” Alonso admitted. “And McLaren is probably the biggest favourite.”

alonso about ruling max out of this years championship:

“you don't rule him out because he's another driving genius, and since we're talking about adrian newey, who could do special things, i think verstappen can do them too. he’s been doing it this year too.”

[mundo… pic.twitter.com/2OjesqTWQ2
— nini (@SCUDERIAFEMBOY) May 28, 2025

Piastri currently leads the standings with 161 points followed by his teammate Norris in second position with 158 points. Meanwhile, Verstappen has only scored 136 points and sits in third position.

But if there’s one thing Alonso made clear — it’s that you write Max off at your own risk. “He’s been doing special things this year too,” Alonso repeated, underscoring the belief that Verstappen’s fire hasn’t dimmed — even if the road to title number five just got a whole lot bumpier.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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