Japanese Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso is in awe of Max Verstappen’s qualifying lap, says “Only he can do it, he’s the best’

Max Verstappen has firmly established his dominance on the Suzuka Circuit, having secured victory in the race for the past three consecutive years. The seemingly unbeatable Suzuka champion proved his supremacy once again by claiming pole position in Saturday's qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix, edging out current McLaren driver Lando Norris. Verstappen's performance was so exceptional that even Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso couldn’t help but praise his rival for his incredible driving skills.McLaren has been the fastest car this season, whether in Melbourne or Shanghai. They continued to dominate all practice sessions as well as qualifying, until Verstappen delivered an astonishing lap to claim pole position.Describing Verstappen’s lap as "magical," Fernando Alonso shared his thoughts with the media, including Autosport.com: “Only he can do it. I think there is no other driver at the moment that can drive a car and put it so high, or higher than the car deserves. I think it was a magical moment for everyone here.”Offering high praise for his competitor, Alonso also acknowledged the challenges Verstappen has faced with the RB21, crediting the driver rather than the car for his remarkable performance. "He's an outstanding driver, and he's proving it every weekend, so hats off to him. The lap he did is only down to him. The car is clearly not at the level to fight for pole or even the top five, but he manages to do those magical laps and have magical weekends. At the moment, he's the best. He's the reference for all of us, and we need to keep improving to reach that level," Alonso said, as quoted by RacingNews365.Verstappen finished second behind Lando Norris at the Australian Grand Prix and fourth at the Chinese Grand Prix. On Saturday, he pushed his limits even further, registering a lap that was just 0.012 seconds faster than Norris, securing pole position. After such a remarkable qualifying performance, Red Bull fans will be hoping Verstappen can clinch his fourth victory at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.Also Read: Max Verstappen dominates pole at Japanese Grand Prix while McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri follow closely behindMeanwhile, Alsonso claimed 13th position in the Qualifying on Saturday. After Max Verstappen got hold of the pole position, the second and third spots were taken by the usual suspects, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, respectively.