Damon Hill, former world champion and ex-Sky F1 pundit, has fired back at critics, asserting that Red Bull and team driver Max Verstappen are unable to handle criticism. Despite repeated accusations of bias towards the British, Hill maintains that he is not against Verstappen, even predicting that the four-time F1 World Champion would react dramatically if faced with similar criticism on his driving style.
Hill, who was part of the Sky F1 team since they acquired live F1 broadcasting rights for the UK and Ireland in 2012, exited at the close of 2024. His final season was marked by his censure of Verstappen’s driving, which frequently made headlines. A key incident occurred at the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix when Verstappen was penalised twice with 10-second time penalties following incidents with title contender Lando Norris. Hill publicly criticised Verstappen’s racing style, a week after Norris was penalised in Austin for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
“The issue with Max is his refusal to yield any ground during an overtake,” Hill commented on the Sky F1 podcast post-Mexican GP. He raised questions about Verstappen’s ability to race fairly, hinting at a mindset that does not allow for fair competition. Hill even drew a parallel between Verstappen and the villainous character Dick Dastardly from the Wacky Races cartoon series.
Both Hill and his ex-colleague Johnny Herbert found themselves scrutinised for their comments, with Max and his father Jos Verstappen suggesting a bias in the British media. After a race that essentially clinched Verstappen’s fourth consecutive title, he mockingly mentioned that UK reporters had “run to the airport”.
Hill, however, stood his ground. “I am not against Max. In fact, I think he is brilliant and sensational. But, when he crossed the line, I called him out. Red Bull has a responsibility to the sport. If their driver steps out of line, they should rein him in, but they don’t,” Hill stated.
Hill also took issue with Red Bull’s approach to criticism. He revealed his disappointment at their inability to handle criticism, despite their tough image. “They like to be seen as the tough guys, but when things don’t go their way, they complain,” Hill added.
Hill further accused Red Bull of perpetuating the idea of Sky F1’s British bias for tactical reasons. In 2022, Red Bull briefly boycotted Sky F1 and withdrew media privileges for its UK, Italy, and Germany branches. This was after Sky F1 reporter Ted Kravitz claimed that Britain’s seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton was “robbed” of a record eighth title at the contentious 2021 title-decider in Abu Dhabi, where Verstappen won his first title.
“Red Bull defends their corner aggressively. They don’t appreciate criticism of Max. They’ve always accused Sky of being British-centric and biased, which is unfair,” Hill stated. He believes that Sky strives to be a fair broadcaster and does not want to lose access to key figures in the sport. However, he accuses Red Bull of applying pressure when needed.
Hill ended his comments by expressing disapproval of jingoism and the claims of bias due to nationality. “It’s utterly unfair to suggest there is any kind of anti-Dutch sentiment. I was there to express my opinion,” Hill concluded.
