F1 champion tips 23-year-old to upset Red Bull’s ‘vulnerable’ Verstappen at US GP

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Damon Hill backs Lando Norris to seal McLaren back-to-back Sprint wins at the United States GP with Red Bull and Max Verstappen ‘more vulnerable’ over the shorter races.

Austin plays host to Formula 1 this weekend as Norris marks his 100th Grand Prix entry with McLaren. But the 23-year-old still remains without a win of any kind since his debut in 2019. Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, edged Verstappen for the Sprint win at the Qatar GP last time out.

McLaren got a front-row lock-out in the Sprint Shootout at the Lusail International Circuit as Piastri beat Norris for pole. The dirty line off the grid then saw Norris slip back whilst George Russell stole the lead on soft tyres. Piastri came back at the Mercedes pilot on the mediums.

Hill tips Norris to beat Verstappen in the United States GP Sprint

Norris eventually fought his way back through the order to take P3 in the Sprint at the Qatar GP. But Piastri held on at the front to get his first win of any kind in Formula 1 during the 22-year-old’s rookie season. Despite Red Bull’s dominant car, Verstappen would not reel him in.

Now, 1996 Formula 1 champion Hill feels it has to be Norris’ turn to take a win in the Sprint at the United States GP. The real question for the former Williams driver is rather who joins the McLaren ace and Verstappen on the podium amid Sergio Perez’s plight in the other Red Bull.

“I think Lando has got to win,” Hill said, via the Mirror. “He’s due one, isn’t he Lando? Sprint, Lando. [The] race is going to be Max. I just think it’s a question of who else is on the podium.

“Checo has got to turn the wick up. The Mexican Grand Prix is coming up. He’s got to do something. Find that thing, whatever it is or not try too hard or something.”

McLaren can take advantage of Red Bull’s ‘Achilles heel’ in Austin

Hill is confident that Norris can hand McLaren another Sprint win at the United States GP as Red Bull and Verstappen struggle in the shorter race format. The Briton believes the 100km limit letting drivers race flat-out negates lots of the Red Bull’s strengths in tyre preservation.

“The thing that is interesting was the weak point, the ‘Achilles heel’ if you can call it that at all, with this Red Bull and Max is when drivers are on their flat-out pace,” Hill continued.

“It seems to be evident that, while their car is particularly good at saving tyres over a long stint, the shorter the race, I think the more vulnerable the Red Bull is.”

Piastri won the Sprint at the Qatar GP as Verstappen could never take too much time away from his McLaren. Every time that the 2023 drivers’ champion made some inroads into the Australian’s advantage, Piastri responded. Norris will hope that he now does so in the USA.