The Spaniard secured his best result of the season in the Monaco Grand Prix as he took second place behind Verstappen in the rain-affected race.
But although Alonso's fifth podium finish of the year has confirmed his spot as Red Bull’s main challenger, he has already slipped to 51 points adrift of Verstappen in the drivers’ standings.
The current advantage that Red Bull has over the rest of the field means there is little hope of Alonso being able to take the challenge to Verstappen in pure pace terms. But that has not left the double world champion thinking there is no hope of the title this year.
Alonso thinks that seasons like he had with Ferrari in 2010 and 2012 – where he was in contention for the championship until the final round despite not having the best car – have shown exactly what is possible over the course of a campaign.
Asked after the Monaco GP about his thoughts on the title, Alonso said: “Let's see. I think in any of the other seasons that I remember, back in the 2000s or early 2010s, I would be leading the championship with the results that I got this year.
“But now there is Red Bull and Max dominating every race. Even with great results, you're just stepping behind them, every race. So, I don't know.
“But we didn't have the best car in 2010 and we arrived in Abu Dhabi leading the championship. We didn't have the best car in ’12 and we still fought for the championship until the last lap in Brazil. So, the championship is long, and we will not give up.
Source: Autosport