Damon Hill responds to Max Verstappen criticism in ‘not a vendetta’ verdict

Damon Hill has stood by his comments on the driving standards of Max Verstappen, saying he uses “fear and intimidation” while racing others – but the 1996 World Champion added his words are “not a vendetta” against the current champion.

Verstappen responded to Hill’s comments, in which Hill described the Red Bull driver’s tactics defending against Lando Norris in Mexico as “Dick Dastardly stuff”, by saying: “I don’t listen to those individuals, I just do my own thing.”

Damon Hill stands by Max Verstappen criticism, adds it is ‘not a vendetta’ against him

Verstappen had added that he feels some in the paddock are “a bit biased” against him, but Hill responded to the Dutch driver’s words about “individuals” criticising him by adding “it’s almost universal disapproval”.

When asked if he stands by his earlier comments on Verstappen, Hill said on Sky F1: “Yes, I do. I think that he’s using fear and intimidation, but I think he also has explained a little bit more about his tactics, which has been that he regards it as a gamble.

“Sometimes it may pay off, sometimes he may get the better of the stewards. They might not apply a penalty, and is also using it as a way of compromising the title contender in Lando Norris.

“So there is some logic. There’s some method to his angriness, if you want to call it that, on the track, but as he says, he knows what he’s doing, but is it right and is it fair?

“I think there is also a rule somewhere, and the regulations have said that everyone has to drive…they’re there to ensure fairness, and we shouldn’t be condoning driving cars off the track.”

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Given Verstappen’s assessment of his critique, Hill said he had “not at all” been expecting any kind of apology from the current World Champion, explaining his view of how the Red Bull driver goes about his raving.

“No, I think I’m clear about what I understand Max to be, and he’s been consistent from the moment he arrived in Formula 1,” Hill said.

“He was using what was regarded as dangerous tactics, and regulations have been brought in to clear up some of the things that he himself has brought upon himself because of the way he drives.

“The FIA bring in regulations, obviously, to try and contain it, because they don’t want racing like that, and they don’t want dangerous situations as well, such as changing line under a braking area and stuff like that, which is what he used to get up to as well. So they put in regulations to cover all that.

“When he makes the point about individuals, it’s not individuals, it’s almost universal disapproval. That’s the point.

“It’s not a vendetta against Max, it’s simply the people who watch the racing want it to be conducted in a reasonable and fair way, and if there isn’t a way of going racing like that, as Karun [Chandhok, ex-F1 driver and fellow Sky pundit] said, if everybody was doing this, it would be daft, it would be silly, and it wouldn’t be worth watching.

“We like close racing. Here we are in Sao Paulo, this is where it all started a little bit in ’21 with him running deep into Turn 4 [against Lewis Hamilton, ed.] and everyone went, ‘hang on a minute, you can’t just run the guy clean off the road to defend’, and he’s still doing it.”

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