Villeneuve compares ‘relentless’ Alonso to Verstappen

Jacques Villeneuve has been comparing Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen after the two lined up at the front of the grid for the Canadian Grand Prix.

Alonso produced the qualifying performance of his season so far to put his Alpine car in P2 alongside the Red Bull and showed the benefits of his experience as he was able to navigate the wet weather conditions in Montreal.

He went on to finish P9 in the race after engine issues saw him move further down the pack but it was a reminder of what the two-time World Champion is still able to do.

One of his former team-mates, Villeneuve, said the Spaniard was like Verstappen in his relentlessness and his refusal to give up on anything.

“It took him a little while to get up to speed in the Alpine and to get the team to work with him, to work in his direction, to develop the car in his direction,” Villeneuve, who was Alonso’s team-mate for three races at Renault in 2004, told the F1 Nation podcast.

The porpoising debate rages on

Did Carlos Sainz miss his best chance to win?

Torquing Point: Canadian GP review and conclusions

Zhou Guanyu shines at Canadian GP

Max Verstappen is looking unstoppable

A happy homecoming for Lance Stroll

“But he’s been unlucky this year either in strategies, pitstops, cars failing down. Today [the Canadian Grand Prix], the engine going down as well and that kept him in the back. Same thing with the pitstops with the Virtual Safety Car.

“So it seems that he’s carrying some kind of weight with him and every time I talk to him, he says, ‘it just never goes right.’ He’s relentless. He’s like Max , he never gives up anything.

“He is race passionate and he’s a fighter, he just never gives anything up. He’s always hungry for more. It’s amazing.”

Alonso will turn