Verstappen's Position Is Better Than Norris's According To Hill

Thursday, 03 October 2024 at 20:11

The 1996 F1 World Champion Damon Hill said Max Verstappen's position as the one being chased but in the lead is better than Lando Norris's.

With six race weekends and nine races (including sprints) to go before the end of the season, Max Verstappen is leading the Drivers' Championship by 52 points ahead of Lando Norris.

The Dutchman's problem is that his McLaren rival has had a faster car for a couple of race weekends, and if it remains that way, according to Nico Rosberg, Norris might win all the remaining races of the season.

If Norris was to win and score the fastest lap in every one of the remaining races, Verstappen would have to finish second in all of them and win the Championship title by one point.

Whose position is better at the moment? The chaser or the one that is being chased? Former F1 driver Damon Hill shared his opinion on F1 Explains podcast:

"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."

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"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."

In 1996, Hill ended up winning the Championship title by 19 points, but his victory wasn't certain until the final Grand Prix weekend of the season. He added:

"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."

"I think that it's better to have the advantage and protect it. 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."