Fernando Alonso believes Max Verstappen’s record-equalling Formula One reign has been underestimated. Verstappen matched Sebastian Vettel’s all-time streak of nine consecutive wins with a brilliant display in Sunday’s wet-dry-wet Dutch Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver is 138 points clear at the summit of the world championship and could close out his third title as early as next month. Earlier this season, Lewis Hamilton described Verstappen’s Red Bull machine as the fastest car he has ever seen. But during Verstappen’s run of nine in a row, team-mate Sergio Perez – the only other driver to win a race in 2023 – has finished off the podium five times. And double world champion Alonso, runner-up to Verstappen in Zandvoort, said: “It is underestimated what Max is achieving. To win in such a dominant way in any professional sport is so complicated. “Today I felt connected with the car and that I was able to give 100 per cent of my abilities but perhaps at other races in Belgium or Austria, for example, I wasn’t able to do that. “But Max is achieving 100 per cent more often than the rest of us at the moment, and that is why he is dominating.” Since he claimed his maiden title at the controversial season-ending Abu Dhabi race in 2021, Verstappen has won 26 of the 35 races staged. In his last 24 appearances, Verstappen has failed to win just four times. He has triumphed at 11 of the 13 rounds so far this year. On Sunday night, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner lauded his star driver as “simply untouchable”. Hamilton’s Mercedes team secured eight consecutive constructors’ championships before Red Bull returned to the top. Hamilton won six titles in seven seasons, but he was never able to win more than five races in a row. Michael Schumacher managed seven straight victories for Ferrari during his stranglehold of the sport at the turn of the century. And Verstappen, 25, said: “There have been more dominant cars in the past than we have at the moment, and they haven’t been able to win nine in a row. “It is hard and, especially in the rain, it’s easy to make a wrong call or spin into the gravel. So, it’s never that straightforward.” Verstappen will bid to secure his 10th consecutive win at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in Monza. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How Max Verstappen equalled Sebastien Vettel’s record for consecutive race wins Max Verstappen reveals Sebastian Vettel prediction as he closes on GP record run Max Verstappen is one of the best drivers in F1 history – Lando Norris

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Toto Wolff insists his public rebuke of Lewis Hamilton at the Austrian Grand Prix will have no impact on the British driver’s Mercedes future. As Max Verstappen racked up his seventh victory from nine rounds with a crushing performance at Red Bull’s home race in Spielberg to extend his championship lead to 81 points, Hamilton crossed the line a disappointing seventh. Hamilton was the first of six drivers to be penalised by race director Niels Wittich for exceeding track limits. He then spent the remainder of the race asking why some of his rivals – namely Sergio Perez – had not been sanctioned, and also lambasted the speed of his under-performing Mercedes machine. Wolff rarely speaks to his drivers over the radio, but was on the intercom twice to Hamilton during Sunday’s race. “Lewis, the car is bad, we know,” said Wolff on his second appearance over the airwaves. “Just please drive it.” The dressing down might have stung Hamilton. Asked what provoked Wolff to deliver the remark, Hamilton’s answer was short, and not-so-sweet. Lewis, the car is bad, we know. Just please drive it Toto Wolff to Lewis Hamilton “I don’t know,” he said. “You will have to ask him.” Hamilton has six months remaining on his £40million-a-season deal. Might the exchange have a bearing on negotiations? “No, not at all,” said Wolff. “You should hear us talking on the phone and meeting each other. That was nothing. “We have had a bad weekend, all of us in the team, and that just makes us stronger. “It was only for the best interest of the driver and the team. Sometimes there is a certain moment when you need to calm things down but I meant well. “We had a lot of discussion about track limits and whether they were enforced or not. “I wanted to make sure we were getting the best out of the package that wasn’t performing, and trying to give it our best shot.” It has been a difficult weekend for Mercedes in Austria. Hamilton was 10th in the Sprint on Saturday, while team-mate George Russell finished eighth in both the shortened race and the main event. Hamilton’s losing streak now extends to 32 races and Wolff – despite suggesting on June 12 that his superstar driver’s next contract would be signed in “days rather than weeks” – confirmed that there will be no news of an extension at Silverstone this weekend. “I am still very confident it will get done,” added Wolff. “We want to do it super, and to every detail. “This is not a money discussion. It is about the future, what is it that we want to do right, and then optimise. “We are not talking anymore about money, or duration, it is about other topics.” I am still very confident it will get done. We want to do it super, and to every detail Wolff on contract talks with Hamilton Asked how long Hamilton’s next deal will be, Wolff replied: “For a while. The Brits say a couple means two, and the Americans say a couple means a few, so it is somewhere there. Several.” The day began strongly for Hamilton. He started fifth and leapfrogged Lando Norris at the opening corner. But he soon faced the wrath of race control for putting all four wheels of his Mercedes over the white line on three separate occasions. He was penalised with a black-and-white warning flag on lap 12, and then hit with a five-second penalty five laps later. Hamilton took his punishment at his second pit stop on lap 43, dropping him to eighth place. He moved up one spot when Pierre Gasly stopped for tyres but failed to make any impression on Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, crossing the line half a minute back. “The feeling with the car was the same as I had last year,” said Hamilton. “I didn’t expect to be as bad as we were today. It is surprising.” Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari, while Perez raced from 15th to third, passing Carlos Sainz with 10 laps to go. Norris ended the day in fifth to record his best result of a difficult season for his under-performing McLaren team. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Austrian Grand Prix to remain on F1 calendar until at least 2030 Lewis Hamilton to start sprint race from 18th at Austrian Grand Prix Made us look like amateurs – Max Verstappen hits out over raft of deleted laps

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