1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill would rather be in the position of Max Verstappen rather than Lando Norris in the 2024 F1 Drivers’ title fight.
Red Bull‘s Verstappen has won seven Grands Prix so far this term but has gone without an F1 victory in eight rounds.
Norris has three wins to his name in 2024 and McLaren boasts the best all-round car on the 2024 F1 grid at the present moment.
As it stands, Verstappen leads the Drivers’ standings with 331 points to Norris’ 279.
Asked to comment on the title battle during the F1 Explains podcast, Hill said he’d rather be leading the championship than chasing it.
“I think that it’s better to have the advantage and protect it,” said Hill.
“You’ve got nothing to lose if you’re chasing, but at the same time you’re behind.
“So it’s always a better position to be in, to have those points.
“In motorsport, there’s tension. You can’t avoid it. So it’s the ability to cope with tension, to cope with pressure, but I think I’d rather have the lead than be trying to get it.
“Max has got it all to lose. It was a similar thing in ‘96 for me because the gap closed up towards the end of the season, and that can be an anxious time.
“It’s much harder. At one point you think ‘we’re winning, we’re going to win’. And of course, that is the golden rule in all sports – to not get ahead of yourself.
“It’s actually keeping your mind in the present and always keeping on the same competitive urge until the flag drops or you get to the end of the season.”
52 points separate Lando Norris and Max Verstappen
Norris has more cause to risk in the six rounds remaining of the 2024 F1 campaign.
His 52-point deficit to Verstappen means the McLaren driver must continue winning to be within a shot of claiming his first Drivers’ title.
Verstappen can afford to be more complacent, but Red Bull must get on top of its car balance issues to give the Dutchman the tools to maintain his advantage.
Hill spoke on the tactics drivers need in a title fight on a race-by-race basis.
“If you’ve got, for example, a situation where you could lose the championship if you don’t finish and you’ve got someone challenging you, then you have to bear that in mind – they might benefit if you don’t finish,” Hill began.
“There’s a tactical consideration, but you should never be thinking about the championship and trying to calculate the points when you’re racing because, ultimately, you know the score: you have to stay in front.
“If you score the most points, you’ll win the championship.
“There may be times when you can concede the lead, or concede the win of a race just to get the points you need to become world champion.
“You have to do a bit of pre-race calculation as to the possible scenarios. You don’t want to be in a race trying to work it out.”
READ MORE: Lando Norris lays down strategy for Max Verstappen F1 title fight
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