Alesi: Max's opinion is not criticism, but a call for improvements.

      Jean Alesi spoke out in defense of Max Verstappen, as he believes that the criticism of the four-time world champion regarding the 2026 regulations has been misinterpreted.

      "Max is facing a lot of problems right now; it's really tough for him," said the former Formula 1 driver, sharing his thoughts in an interview with RacingNews365. "It's probably a time when the fastest drivers are having a harder time than the others. Remember the qualifying in Suzuka: although Max and Charles Leclerc were faster through every corner, they slowed down towards the end of the lap.

      The car settings depend more on the engineers. The most a driver can do is stay calm and let the engineers fix something. But I like that Verstappen openly expresses his opinion. Of course, he tries to push the team, but that doesn't mean he's against it.

      He can't assure at a press conference that everything is perfect. He has to say what he wants to achieve from the engine, that the direction of the aerodynamic work needs to change, but that's not criticism; it's a call for improvements.

      I like Max – and do you know why? Because there was a time when he acted too aggressively, that was during his rivalry with Lewis. When Hamilton was ahead of him, it seemed like Verstappen was ready to pounce on him. But now he has turned into a true master of overtaking, and watching him during a race is incredibly interesting."

      When Alesi was asked if he was ready to place Verstappen at the top of his personal ranking of the greatest drivers of all time, he replied: "Right now, he's number one for me, but as for the entire history, no. Because he can't be compared to Ayrton Senna, Juan Manuel Fangio, or Tazio Nuvolari. The technology, the level of risk – everything was different back then, you know? But I consider him the best driver of his generation..."