‘You are going to sink into quicksand’: Damon Hill warns Red Bull to stay on their toes
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Damon Hill
Red Bull have an almost insurmountable lead in the world championship and are currently 139 points ahead of second-placed Ferrari. Max Verstappen has a similarly huge lead, currently 116 points ahead of his next closest competitor, Charles Leclerc. Under normal circumstances, the fate of both championships is already woven.
But complacency is never an option in sports, and especially in Formula 1. Championships can turn around in the blink of an eye, as Leclerc and Ferrari found out after Australia. While one would back Red Bull to continue to dominate proceedings, Christian Horner himself is remaining rather cautious and doesn’t believe they can win all of the remaining races, at the very least.
Horner cited the ‘huge variance of circuits’ as a cause, and it would be a ‘massive ask’ for them to keep dominating. Damon Hill also feels that they are in a delicate position, even with their lead. The 1996 World Champion thinks any complacency could potentially be disastrous.
Damon Hill warns Red Bull against complacency
Talking on the F1 Nation podcast with co-hosts Tom Clarkson and Natalie Pinkham, Damon Hill stressed the importance of Red Bull to stay on their toes, especially with car development. He said: “If they don’t do any more development now on this car, I think Ferrari and Mercedes will be all over them by the time you get to Abu Dhabi.”
The Briton said they will be given a run for their money if any complacency seeps through: “If you stand still for a second in Formula 1, in this sport you are going to be swamped. You are literally going to sink into quicksand. So the pace for anyone, even if they are winning, the pressure is relentless.”
However, co-host Tom Clarkson felt that development will be limited now for all top three teams: Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes. He cited the cost cap as a factor in this: “I think the cost cap will limit other teams’ ability to respond, there is only so much Ferrari and Mercedes can do now. In terms of development, it is all about 2023.”
Clarkson believes that the focus for the top teams will now shift to maximizing their package for the rest of the races, as he thinks that the teams have spent all their development budget.
Also Read: “That’s a big question mark,” Damon Hill extremely skeptical over Daniel Ricciardo’s pace in F1
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)