In Great Britain, there was great shock after the incident between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris during the Austrian Grand Prix. On lap 63, the two drivers made contact, both got a puncture and Norris had to stop his race. According to many Britons, Verstappen robbed Norris of a victory. Even before the incident in Austria, former F1 world champion Damon Hill stood up for Norris in the James Allen on F1 podcast.
Since the Grand Prix of Miami in which his McLaren was equipped with a package of updates, Norris has managed to get a lot closer to Verstappen. According to Hill, the victory in Florida did Norris a lot of good. ‘Norris wanted to silence his critics. They made a point of the fact that he had not yet won a Grand Prix’, says Hill. The former F1 driver indicates that social media has made it extremely difficult for drivers to shield themselves from far-reaching criticism. According to Hill, Norris chose to respond by winning in Florida.
Hard to win
In the races that followed Miami, it quickly became clear how difficult it is to beat Verstappen. Hill does not believe that this is due to Norris’ skills, but rather to Verstappen’s dominance. ‘It is difficult to win a Grand Prix, especially when there is someone like Verstappen who wants to stop you’, he says. The former driver indicates that Norris is not the only athlete to whom this happens. It also happens in other sports. ‘You may be the best tennis player in the world, like Andy Murray, but unfortunately you have Federer or Nadal or Djokovic as rivals.’
Hill believes that Norris, but also George Russell, can become world champions. ‘They have enough talent, but they need to be given the chance,’ he says. He adds that drivers also need to be prepared for the fact that such a battle is not easy. ‘Even when you are the best, it demands a lot from you.’ In addition, the team must be able to provide what the driver needs. ‘They need a good car. You could say that Norris has that now. I just don’t think the McLaren is better than the Red Bull. I think it is just as good. Norris needs a bit more from the car,’ Hill concludes.
