F1: Alonso warns Verstappen not to get too complacent

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Fernando Alonso has warned Max Verstappen not to get too complacent because success can disappear quickly in competitive F1.

“Until the regulations change in 2026, Red Bull will contend for the championships so there will be many chances for Max to win races,” Alonso told the PA news agency.

“He is young, the calendar is longer than ever before, with 24 opportunities to win every year, so he can break the records along the way.

“But there are also no guarantees. When I won two championships [in 2005 and 2006], I thought I would win a few more and have a lot of wins, so Max cannot relax because things can change quickly.”

“Lewis [Hamilton] will be in contention for the eighth title,” the Spaniard said.

“I don’t know if that will be next year, or in the future, but he will have another chance of winning the championship, that is for sure.

“Mercedes are a very strong team, and Lewis is a very strong driver. He doesn’t forget how to drive from one season to the next.

“The Mercedes car is not an easy one to drive and it is not a fast car, but you see every weekend that Lewis is always there – fourth, fifth, fourth, and he was second in Australia. He is driving on top of the car.”