Damon Hill has made no secret of the fact he isn’t Max Verstappen’s biggest fan. The 1996 world champion previously called the Red Bull driver a “cry baby” and claimed he uses “fear and intimidation” against his rivals. However, Hill had a simple, four-word response to the 27-year-old’s stunning Suzuka lap that secured him pole position at tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix.
The four-time world champion, who is usually calm and collected over the team radio, roared in delight when his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase confirmed that he was on pole. It came as a surprise given how difficult the car has been to drive this season.
“We tried the best we could to get the best possible balance for the car but it wasn’t easy even in qualifying, but in every session we just kept on making little improvements,” Verstappen told reporters after the session. “I think that’s where we made the difference and the last lap was just flat out, I mean around here being on the limit and maybe even a bit over it at places is incredibly rewarding.”
“Not to be denied,” Hill wrote on Instagram after Verstappen secured the 41st pole position of his career, and set a new track record. He also re-shared Fernando Alonso’s reaction to the impressive lap, in which the Spaniard said “no other driver” is at Verstappen’s level. “True that,” Hill added.
Hill has previously come under fire for criticizing Verstappen, particularly at the end of the 2024 season when claiming he weaponizes “fear and intimidation.” Speaking on Sky Sports at the time, Hill said there was “some method to his angriness on track.”
“He, as he says, he knows what he’s doing, but is it right and is it fair? And I think there’s also rules … to ensure fairness, and we shouldn’t be condoning driving cars off the track,” he said. “I’m clear about what I understand Max to be,” Hill added, noting that he had been driving “dangerously” since he entered F1. “He’s been like that, and he’s been consistent from the moment he arrived in F1 in using what was regarded as dangerous tactics.”
