Former F1 Champion: Having Points Advantage Ultimately More Favorable for Title Chase; Verstappen Shouldn’t Think About It During Races

Recently, former F1 World Champion Damon Hill, while participating in a podcast, expressed his belief that despite Norris’s impressive pursuit, Verstappn, who has the points advantage, remains the top favorite to win the Drivers’ Championship.

Damon Hill said, “I still think it’s better to have the points lead and defend your position. If you’re the chaser, like Norris is now, it looks like you have nothing to lose, but you can’t ignore the points gap.”

“Motorsport naturally comes with immense pressure, which we cannot overlook. The key to success lies in how you perform under such pressure. From my experience, I always prefer to be the one in control. Recalling the season when I won the championship in 1996, my lead was gradually shrinking, which was terrifying.”

“For Verstappen, the remaining races might get tougher because at some point, you start thinking about winning the title. But there’s a golden rule in all sports: don’t have unrealistic expectations. What Verstappen needs to do now is focus on each race and maintain a competitive mindset until the season ends.”

“During the race, you shouldn’t think about standings because we drivers know what the ultimate goal is. Your job is to stay ahead and accumulate as many points as possible, which is how you win the championship. Sometimes, to increase your chances of winning the title, you might even need to give up a race victory to secure points. You can do some math before the race, but don’t think about these things during the race.”

This season, there are six more Grand Prix races left. Verstappen currently leads the Drivers’ Championship with 331 points, 52 points ahead of second-placed Norris.