Formula 1 legend Damon Hill sees Max Verstappen as the designated world champion. His pursuer, Lando Norris, is too naive compared to the Red Bull driver and has to be hard on himself. Hill draws parallels to his career and the long-term duel with Michael Schumacher.
Max Verstappen can secure his fourth Formula 1 world title in a row in Las Vegas. The 27-year-old Dutchman doesn’t even need that much to catch up with Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost after triumphs. Only the two record champions Michael Schumacher from Germany and the Briton Lewis Hamilton, who will start for Ferrari next year, with seven titles each, as well as the Argentine racing icon Juan-Manuel Fangio (5), would then be ahead of Verstappen.
Before the Grand Prix on Sunday (7 a.m., in the WELT sports ticker) in the USA, Verstappen leads by 62 points over the British Lando Norris from McLaren. If Verstappen still has 60 more points after the Vegas showdown, he is world champion. Norris could mathematically equalize in the two remaining Grand Prix in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but the higher number of race victories would then also speak for Verstappen. Former world champion Damon Hill sees it similarly. The 64-year-old Englishman won the title in a Williams-Renault in 1996.
Ask: Mr. Hill, Lando Norris is 62 points behind Max Verstappen in the World Championship with three races remaining. Does your compatriot still have a chance of winning the World Cup?
Damon Hill: No.
Ask: There are still 86 points to be scored.
Hill: Theoretically he can still become champion. But I don’t believe that – and probably he doesn’t either.
Ask: Norris kept having misfires. Is he a future world champion?
Hill: He has all the potential for it, but Lando will have to be hard on himself after the season and rethink a few things. He is too naive in some situations and has exposed his weaknesses. He has to learn that for the future. Otherwise he will never become world champion.
Ask: Please explain.
Hill: Above all, he has to work on himself mentally. Winning is a matter of the mind. He and the team have to internalize this mentality. They took the first step by winning a few races. Now they have to get over the fact that they keep making mistakes in the crucial moments. Lando had a few of them, but you can only allow one, maximum two, per season. He has to mature and understand that a World Championship fight in Formula 1 is not comparable to anything he has done before. Not with karting, not with Formula 2.
Ask: Why?
Hill: Formula 1 is the big stage, the premier class of motorsport. The best of the best drive there. If you want to be one of the top riders, you have to be able to handle the pressure of the spotlight. There is no room for self-doubt. The credo must be “I am the best. “Anytime, anywhere”!
Ask: Red Bull exploited these doubts. Motorsport boss Dr. Helmut Marko said that Red Bull was happy that Lewis Hamilton was not in the McLaren. He would have easily won the World Cup…
Hill: These are mind games – and no team can do them as well as Red Bull. They know exactly which buttons to push. This is deeply rooted in their DNA. They give everything for success. The statement is proof of that. Helmut would never give Lewis such a compliment publicly if he didn’t think it would benefit him. But it also shows that Red Bull see Lando and McLaren as serious opponents.
Ask: Is Marko still right?
Hill: That’s hard to say. But Lewis is well versed and, thanks to his experience, is of course much more mentally stable than a young pilot like Lando. He definitely would have had a chance against Verstappen.
Ask: Do you have to be strong enough to compete against Verstappen?
Hill: Yes. Max also carries the Red Bull DNA. He is a brilliant driver, but at the same time a very good strategist. His driving style is extremely aggressive. This is his method and he sticks to it because it works. Max admitted that he sometimes consciously crosses the line. He calculates exactly what he will be punished for and what he won’t be punished for.
Ask: Verstappen is often compared to your arch-rival Michael Schumacher. Do you see any parallels?
Hill: In any case. They are very similar. They both approach things in a similar way. And both are masters at intimidating their opponents. On and off the track. At the time, Michael made me feel useless and untalented. But that wasn’t enough for him, he wanted to rub it in my face even more. That’s why he told the press. She had no reason not to believe him. Michael won many races. And whoever wins is right. He was a master of psychological games. He was permanently in my head. That was brutal. Michael and I actually got along well, but we hated each other along the way. There was no room for niceties. You have to exploit every weakness of your opponent and wear him down.
Ask: What did that do to you?
Hill: It hurt because he exposed my vulnerabilities and exploited them. If someone comments on something and what they say hurts, it’s only because it’s a topic about which they already had doubts. It gets even worse when you read about it the next day in the newspaper or on social media. This is an immense burden that is difficult to recover from.
Ask: How does this work?
Hill: You have to believe in yourself. It’s like the bumblebee and flying. According to physics, this shouldn’t be possible, but she can do it anyway – because no one told her and she believed in herself. This is what separates the really big guys from the rest of the drivers. You didn’t listen to other people’s opinions. They were convinced that they were the best but could still do better. There was no 100 percent, they were all always at 90.
Ask: Does Verstappen also have this way of thinking?
Hill: Only he can judge for himself, but it seems that way. With his fourth title, Max will be one step closer to the likes of Senna, Hamilton and Schumacher.
Ask: Can he replace Schumacher and Hamilton as record champions and win more than seven titles?
Hill: That depends on the team. Max is an extremely good driver, but he also needs a car that is capable of winning. I don’t know whether it will still be Red Bull in the future. If I were him, I would look around. In 2026, the team will be competing with a self-built engine for the first time. That’s a big question mark. But above all, there always seems to be tension in the team. Everyone puts a little pressure on each other. But who is actually the boss? Is it Christian Horner (Red Bulls Team boss, the editorial team)? Is it Dr. Marco? Is it Verstappen? Is it his father Jos who regularly gets involved? These are all alpha animals who are not afraid of conflict. There are no weak people there.
Ask: Already on track. While Verstappen is on the verge of winning his fourth title, teammate Sergio Pérez is only eighth in the drivers’ championship. Rumors about his exit persist. Does Red Bull have to pull the ripcord?
Hill: I think so. Anyway, I find it completely baffling why they aren’t more critical of Checo.
The text was designed for the sports competence center (WELT, SPORT PICTURE, BILD) written and first published in SPORT BILD.
