Damon Hill accuses Max Verstappen of ‘Dick Dastardly’ tactics
Max Verstappen's driving has been likened to Wacky Races villain Dick Dastardly by F1 world champion Damon Hill.
Damon Hill has accused fellow F1 world champion Max Verstappen of driving like Wacky Races villain Dick Dastardly.
Red Bull’s Verstappen was handed two penalties totalling 20-seconds for a pair of incidents with title rival Lando Norris on the same lap as they experienced their latest flashpoint during last weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
The three-time world champion first forced Norris wide at Turn 4, before taking both his car and his rival’s McLaren off track with a desperate lunge a few corners later. Verstappen finished sixth, while Norris took second.
1996 world champion Hill, who himself was involved in controversial run-ins with Michael Schumacher, criticised Verstappen of resorting to underhand tactics similar to those used by cartoon villain Dastardly.
"The problem Max has is he simply refuses to concede any turf at all to anyone in an overtake," Hill said on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
"The second move was just daft and Dick Dastardly stuff. He simply accelerated to the apex and drove Lando off the track and Lando didn't have much option and they actually did touch. That was silly driving.
"Max, he let himself down there I think. He's got such brilliance and clearly a massive competitive spirit but I don't think that was anything to be proud of there."
Hill added: "The aerial 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."
Norris, who trails Verstappen by 47 points with four races remaining, branded Verstappen’s driving as “dangerous” and said his rival “got what he had coming to him” with his double punishment.
It marked the third major clash between Norris and Verstappen this season. The duo also collided in Austria and came to blows during an epic but controversial late battle at the United States Grand Prix.
Hill went on to imply that Verstappen was using his car as “a weapon” in Mexico City.
"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," Hill said.
"You shouldn't be allowed to use your car as a weapon and simply block the track."
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