Did Alonso make a sly dig at Hamilton amid Verstappen praise? 

Alonso has reserved plenty of praise for fellow two-time world champion Verstappen in recent years amid the Red Bull driver’s current spell of F1 domination. 

Verstappen is running away with the 2023 world championship having opened up a 125-point lead over teammate Sergio Perez. 

The Dutchman has claimed 10 wins from 12 races so far this season with his last at the Belgian Grand Prix marking his eighth straight victory. 

Like himself, Alonso views Verstappen as a bit of an outsider who has not had the easiest of rides with the media or the general public. 

"I like Max,” Alonso said in an interview with the BBC. “He’s a driver who just comes Thursday to the circuit, dresses in a Red Bull uniform, races Saturday and Sunday and leaves the track, goes back home and is still racing on the sim or in GTs with his father or just enjoying motorsport in general but having a normal life. 

"Coming also from the Netherlands, [a country] with not much background of F1. He's still a very normal person, just loving motorsport, and he's very fast. I think his attitude and behaviour here in the circuit, he is very normal and I like these kinds of things.”

Amid Alonso’s praise of Verstappen, did he also take a swipe at Lewis Hamilton?

Some fans on social media have suggested that Alonso’s comment about Verstappen ‘dressing in Red Bull uniform’ was a concealed dig at Hamilton, who famously turns up in the F1 paddock wearing eye-catching outfits. 

Alonso and Hamilton have endured a love-hate relationship ever since a blockbuster falling out while teammates at McLaren during Hamilton’s rookie F1 season. 

In the same interview, Alonso provided further insight into the spectacular and controversial fallout with Hamilton at the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix. 

Alonso also lashed out at his former Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer over his contract debacle that ended with him leaving to join rivals Aston Martin.