Damon Hill has once again questioned Max Verstappen‘s driving style. The 1996 world champion has previously criticized the Red Bull driver, particularly his defensive techniques, which Hill believes are designed to cause crashes. In the lead-up to the Bahrain Grand Prix, Hill has turned his attention to team boss Christian Horner, who he feels does not intervene enough when it comes to Verstappen.
The spat between Damon Hill and Max Verstappen began after the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix. The Dutch driver received multiple ten-second penalties after forcing title rival Lando Norris off the track twice. Hill disapproved of the Red Bull champion’s behavior. In the run-up to the new season, the former Williams driver went a step further, stating that Verstappen would ‘cry like a baby’ if someone were to use the same tactics against him.
Unsurprisingly, Hill faced a lot of criticism afterwards. In a recent episode of the Fast and the Curious podcast, he defended himself. “The internet reacts impulsively and there isn’t enough time to understand the nuances of what is meant or what has actually been said,” he responded. “It’s literally like a ping pong ball in a box being shaken back and forth by the algorithm, and frankly, it’s sensationalism; everything is grist for the internet’s mill.”
‘Max’s Tactics Need to be Curbed’
“But the points I made about Max Verstappen were completely justified,” Hill added. “I fully support what he is willing to do on the track to maintain or regain his position. My argument is that if everyone were to do that to Max, he would complain. But the problem is that no one does. No one uses the same exaggerated defensive tactics as he does – of course, he is a very impressive driver, but there are things he does that need to be curbed.”
“Even Ross Brawn sometimes said that Michael Schumacher went too far,” Hill cited as an example. “But Christian Horner hesitates to bring up such things with Max. The problem is that if such tactics work, people will continue to use them. That’s why I think the FIA has been too weak in the past; the stewards need to take stricter action and a line must be drawn somewhere. Otherwise, it becomes a free-for-all. As soon as it starts to resemble bumper cars, you’re just bringing the sport down. It’s ridiculous,” he concluded critically.
