Damon Hill thinks £35.5m-a-year driver is ‘losing respect’ after dramatic Mexico City Grand Prix race

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The Mexico City Grand Prix was the latest incident-filled race of a dramatic Formula 1 season.

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz was perfect throughout the race weekend, winning from pole position after briefly being overtaken by Max Verstappen going into the first corner.

It could have been a Ferrari one-two but Charles Leclerc instead will be pleased to have finished on the podium after nearly ending up in the barrier on the main straight while defending from Lando Norris.

Norris was involved in one of the biggest talking points in the race as he continued his battle with Verstappen which caused plenty of controversy at the United States Grand Prix.

The stewards handed Norris a penalty for his move on Verstappen in Austin, but at the Mexico City Grand Prix, it was the Dutchman who was penalised for two incidents in the space of four corners.

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Verstappen launched his Red Bull down the inside of Norris going into turn four, and while he made the corner, he forced Norris to take evasive action.

The Brit cut the corner and allowed Sainz back through, but didn’t yield to Verstappen who then made an even more aggressive move down the inside of turn seven, taking the position but forcing both cars outside of the track limits.

Verstappen was handed two separate ten-second penalties and only managed to recover to sixth, and Damon Hill has shared his opinion on the matter.

Martin Brundle labelled Verstappen as ridiculous after watching his battle with Norris and Hill admits he’s ‘losing respect’ for the £35.5m-a-year driver as he seems incapable of changing his driving style even when the stewards are closely inspecting his battles.

Damon Hill says Max Verstappen is ‘losing respect’ after Mexican Grand Prix driving

Danica Patrick made a point on Sky Sports F1 about the driving standards rules and how they impact racing.

Yuki Tsunoda said before the race weekend that if every driver followed each rule then F1 may as well be raced by AI.

However, it’s about staying on the right side of the grey areas in the regulations, something Verstappen is typically an expert in.

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Reflecting on the race, Hill said: “Danica [Patrick] is right on the driving standards point @SkySportsF1.

“More rules just make more loopholes. It’s a shame, because Max is losing respect.

“He could change his approach. But I think hell will freeze over before that happens. #f1”

Max Verstappen highlights Red Bull’s ‘biggest problem’ after the Mexico City Grand Prix

Red Bull are in a confusing position with Verstappen still the heavy favourite to win the Drivers’ Championship despite not winning a race since the Spanish Grand Prix.

He’s now on a ten-race streak without standing on the top step of the podium when you discount Sprint Race, but has benefitted from victories being spread out between his closest rivals to prevent one driver – in this case Norris – from overtaking him in the standings.

Red Bull have now sunk to third in the Constructors’ Championship and that seems more than fair judging on their past few races.

Ferrari look to be in incredible shape while McLaren consistency has been vital to their success.

Verstappen has shared what he believes is Red Bull’s biggest problem and refused to blame his underperforming teammate.

Whether he and Perez are still paired together in 2025 is yet to be seen.