Hill: Verstappen spares no room for weakness in rivals

Damon Hill critiques Lando Norris’s mindset and praises Max Verstappen’s unrelenting dominance, urging Norris to mature under pressure.

Lando Norris must “rethink” his strategy over the winter, says compatriot Damon Hill.

After more than a decade as a Formula 1 commentator for Sky UK, the 1996 World Champion is leaving the broadcaster, with some speculating that recent allegations of bias towards Norris may be a factor.

However, while Hill, 64, has recently been outspoken in criticizing Max Verstappen’s attitude, he is equally critical of Norris.

“He has all the necessary qualities,” Hill said of the 25-year-old, “but Lando must be tough on himself after the season and rethink certain things.”

“He has been too naive in some situations and exposed his weaknesses. He needs to learn from that for the future. Otherwise, he will never become World Champion.”

Hill believes Norris’s greatest weakness against Verstappen is psychological.

“He needs to work on himself, above all mentally. Winning is a mental game. He and the McLaren team must understand this.”

“They’ve taken the first step by winning a few races. Now, they need to avoid mistakes in crucial moments. Lando has made a few, but you can only afford one, maybe two, per season.”

“He must mature and realize that a battle for the Formula 1 World Championship is unlike anything he has faced before.”

“If you want to be the best of the best, you have to handle the pressure under the spotlight. There’s no room for doubt. The mantra must be, ‘I am the best, always and everywhere.'”

Like Verstappen, Red Bull is also a “master” of psychological games, Hill explained. Recently, for instance, Dr. Helmut Marko remarked that Red Bull was fortunate this year that Lewis Hamilton wasn’t in the cockpit of Norris’s McLaren.

“No team plays mind games as well as Red Bull,” Hill admitted.

“They know exactly which buttons to press. It’s deeply ingrained in their DNA. They do whatever it takes to succeed, and that statement is proof of it.”

“Helmut would never publicly pay Lewis such a compliment unless he thought it would benefit Red Bull.”

Hill competed against Michael Schumacher for titles in the mid-1990s. And according to him, Verstappen has the same mentality as a driver like Schumacher.

“It’s that self-belief. It’s like the bumblebee. According to physics, it simply shouldn’t be able to fly – but it does, because no one told it otherwise, and it believed in itself. That’s what sets the truly great apart. They don’t listen to others’ opinions.”

Verstappen is under contract until 2028, making it possible for him to break the shared record of seven career titles held by Hamilton and Schumacher.

Hill, however, isn’t convinced.

“It depends on the team. Max is an exceptionally good driver, but he also needs a car capable of winning. I don’t know if that will always be Red Bull in the future.”

“If I were him, I’d keep my options open. In 2026, the team will use its own engine for the first time. That’s a big question mark. But more importantly, there always seems to be tension within the team. Everyone is putting pressure on everyone else.”

“Who’s really in charge? Is it Christian Horner or Dr. Marko? Is it Max? Is it his father Jos, who regularly gets involved? They’re all alpha personalities who aren’t afraid of conflict.”