Damon Hill says Max Verstappen ‘knows’ deep down he’s doing something ‘unacceptable’ in Formula 1

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Max Verstappen has built a reputation for being a difficult driver to pass and making it tricky for his competitors in wheel-to-wheel combat.

The Dutchman was very aggressive on the circuit from the outset when he made his debut in 2015 and sharpened his skills.

Verstappen won his first world championship in 2021 and battled Lewis Hamilton over the season, often making bold overtakes to gain an advantage.

Over the past couple of race weekends, he has been caught up in incidents with his nearest championship rival Lando Norris.

The Red Bull driver went over the limit last time out at the Mexico City Grand Prix after two incidents in quick succession, earning two 10-second time penalties.

Damon Hill explained when speaking on Sky Sports F1 that he feels there is an aspect of Verstappen’s driving in Formula 1 that isn’t correct.

Damon Hill feels Max Verstappen’s interpretation of the regulations is ‘cynical’

His driving standards in wheel-to-wheel combat have been a significant talking point in recent races after the incidents with Norris, though Christian Horner thought the penalty for Verstappen was fair.

Red Bull are now under pressure as they are no longer dominating Formula 1 and have slipped to third in the Constructors’ Championship.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen responds to ‘abnormal’ comments from F1 steward over Lando Norris incidents

The Austrian team have lacked raw speed which has been compounded by Ferrari and McLaren’s improvement.

Red Bull’s lack of pace advantage this year has pushed Verstappen into more wheel-to-wheel combat situations.

Hill feels that the three-time world champion’s driving can go too far beyond the rules, and he interprets the regulations distinctly.

He said: “I think the way he goes about interpreting the regulations is cynical, actually. I think he knows that it’s not really acceptable way to go about overtaking people.

“But he’s prepared to take the chance of a penalty if it’s actually providing a benefit in some other way. Let’s say if it ruins Lando’s race, for example.”

Lando Norris may need to change his approach when battling Max Verstappen

Norris needs to start outscoring Verstappen by significant margins if he wants to take his first world championship.

The British driver is 47 points behind with four race weekends remaining despite having a quicker car at recent races.

Mika Hakkinen feels that Norris may have to change his method when racing Verstappen by looking to overtake on the inside.

It is very difficult to match Verstappen when battling on the circuit, as he is ruthless. This has laid the foundations for his three world titles.