Hill explains why Verstappen has “the advantage” over Norris:
– Damon Hill believes that Max Verstappen holds “the advantage” over Lando Norris in the drivers’ championship battle. Verstappen currently has a 52-point lead over Norris with six races remaining in the 2024 season, including three sprint races. However, McLaren’s pace and consistency have been helping Norris close the gap on Red Bull.
– At the Singapore Grand Prix, Lando Norris dominated and won by nearly 21 seconds ahead of Verstappen, cutting the deficit further and intensifying the title fight.
– Despite Norris’ stronger pace, Hill thinks Verstappen’s position is still advantageous.
“I think that it’s better to have the advantage and protect it,” said the 1996 world champion on the F1Explains podcast.
“You’ve got nothing to lose if you’re chasing, but at the same time, you’re behind. So it’s always a better position to be in, to have those points. In motorsport, there’s tension. You can’t avoid it. So it’s the ability to cope with tension, to cope with pressure, but I think I’d rather have the lead than be trying to get it.”
“Max has got it all to lose. It was a similar thing in ‘96 for me because the gap closed up towards the end of the season, and that can be an anxious time. It’s much harder. At one point you think, ‘We’re winning, we’re going to win’. And of course, that is the golden rule in all sports – to not get ahead of yourself. It’s actually keeping your mind in the present and always keeping on the same competitive urge until the flag drops or you get to the end of the season.”
“There’s a tactical consideration, but you should never be thinking about the championship and trying to calculate the points when you’re racing because, ultimately, you know the score: you have to stay in front.”
“If you score the most points, you’ll win the championship. There may be times when you can concede the lead, or concede the win of a race just to get the points you need to become world champion. You have to do a bit of pre-race calculation as to the possible scenarios. You don’t want to be in a race trying to work it out,” Hill concluded.
#landonorris #mclarenf1
#maxverstappen #redbullracing
VIA: [gpblog]