Unlike 2023, Max Verstappen’s season has been far from dominant. This year, we have seen seven different race winners, with Verstappen not winning since the Spanish Grand Prix. Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, former world champion Damon Hill acknowledged the frustration the Dutchman has had recently over his, and the team’s performance.
Verstappen has not featured on the podium since the British Grand Prix weekend. In Hungary, he was also visibily frustrated, as he exchanged heated radio messages with his engineer. Asked how he thinks the three-time world champion will approach the final ten races, Hill said: “Well, I think he’s shown slight frustration. He’s been quite critical of the team and he wants to see more action because he’s starting to have to work a lot harder than he has been used to in the last couple of years. I think he will have to fight really hard for this championship.”
In 2023, Verstappen was clear of any competitor, with his teammate, Sergio Perez, close enough behind to help the team score big points. Nevertheless, Perez has struggled this season, whilst other teams like McLaren and Mercedes have made great improvements. This has meant Lando Norris now sits second in the Drivers’ standings, whilst a four-way battle between Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes has started in the Constructors.
With this, Hill believes that if the Red Bull driver wants to be fighting to keep his place at the front, then the team must make changes: “I’m sure they can come up with a little bit more pace for him on the development of the car. But he’s still going to be chased hard all the way through to the end,” he added.
