1996 Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill has compared the aggressive driving of Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen to late Brazil racing legend Ayrton Senna ahead of this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Afrosport reports.
Verstappen came under the radar for his driving at the Mexico City Grand Prix last weekend where he and title rival Lando Norris went off the track in their battle for the lead of the race.
The Dutchman was given two 10-second penalties for his driving which dropped him down to 15th before he recovered his way back up to finish sixth.
Hill likened Verstappen’s driving style to Senna who was a three-time world champion until his tragic death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
“Ayrton Senna was very brutal with some of his tactics and his aggressiveness, and that was questioned at the time as well, the way he drove,” Hill said on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
“I’m about to go to Brazil so I don’t want to upset any Senna fans, but they know that he was a formidable competitor, and sometimes the anger in him got the better of him.
“That’s where the FIA or the sporting authorities have to step in. They have to be able say, ‘OK, we want competition and see that fierceness, but it has to be controlled.’
“It can’t just be a demolition derby just to keep your place, or deny everyone getting a place just because you don’t want to be overtaken, so there needs to be a way of disciplining the driver.
“I think Max, if he carries on like that, there will be long-term questions over whether or not it was wise for him to drive like that. He’s got so much talent, he’s got so much ability. He could always use that skill to defeat his opponents. It shouldn’t just be a dodgems race.”
Hill also criticised Red Bull for not talking to Verstappen enough about his aggressive driving which continues to embolden him.
“There’s never any attempt to publicly describe his driver in a way that other people would recognise it,” he added.
“It is always a protective comment from Christian about Max. It almost appears as though Max is free to do whatever he likes.
“His team will never criticise the way he drives. And I think if you’re in a competition, that’s probably fine to do that publicly.
“But really, at some point, there has to be a conversation. It’s the responsibility of the team to also contribute to the driver’s attitude.”
Verstappen is a two-time champion at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, claiming victories in 2019 and 2023.
