Damon Hill has claimed that Max Verstappen is incapable of driving fairly and accused the under-fire Dutchman of acting like Wacky Races’ villain Dick Dastardly.
Verstappen’s defensive tactics are in the spotlight after he was handed a combined 20-second penalty for forcing championship rival Lando Norris off the track on two occasions at last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix.
Norris described Verstappen’s driving as “dangerous”, while McLaren CEO Zak Brown said the Red Bull man’s attempts to keep his driver behind were “ridiculous”, adding “enough is enough”.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, Hill, the 1996 world champion, said: “On the exit of Turn 4, Max clearly makes a beeline for the edge of the track to prevent Lando from having any chance at all.
“The area footage is very clear. He made no attempt to back off and make the corner and leave room for Lando. It was simply a case of you are not coming through.
“The second move was just daft and Dick Dastardly stuff. He accelerated to the apex and drove Lando off the track and Lando didn’t have much option. That was silly driving.
“Max let himself down there. He has such brilliance, and such competitive spirit, but I don’t think that was something to be proud of.
“It is possible to race fairly, and that is something I am not sure Max is capable of. It is not in his repertoire, it is not in his philosophy. His philosophy is you are not coming past.”
Norris finished second in Mexico City, with Verstappen only able to manage sixth, to allow the British driver to move to 47 points behind in the title race with 120 points to play for over the final four rounds.
Put to Hill that Verstappen’s aggressive driving is due to him being embroiled in a championship battle with Norris, Hill, who was speaking on a Sky Sports’ podcast, replied: “Yes, but that is the challenge.
“They say that sport doesn’t build character, it shows character, and his default is to revert to preventative methods rather than trying to keep it within the bounds of fairness. You shouldn’t be allowed to use your car as a weapon and simply block the track.”