Max Verstappen’s ‘default mindset’ is ‘other people make mistakes’

Clashing with George Russell in an incident that had Max Verstappen calling his rival a “d***head”, Damon Hill says that’s Verstappen’s “default mindset” that only others make mistakes.

Lining up third and fourth on the Azerbaijan sprint race grid, Verstappen made a sluggish start and came under attack from Russell.

The Mercedes driver challenged him into Turn 2 where they made contact, ripping a hole in Verstappen’s RB19, with the battle continuing into Turn 3 where the Dutchman bounced off the wall.

Russell took the position but on the restart after a Safety Car it was Verstappen who got his own back as he overtook the Mercedes driver to complete the sprint podium.

Verstappen, fuming from the contact, confronted Russell after the race and ended a brief exchange by calling his rival a “d**khead”.

Hill reckons that was to be expected.

Put to him that was a ‘little bit of bad blood that will blow over quickly’, the 1996 World Champion replied on Sky F1: “The default mindset of someone like Max is that they’re always right over. Same with Michael [Schumacher], same with Ayrton Senna.

“这基本上是他们需要的人不t make mistakes, other people make mistakes.

“I don’t think George would feel bad about it at all. He absolutely went for it.

“这是麦克斯的工程师说,他们什么也没得到to lose, and so he should have taken that into account.”

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As for Russell, he thought when Verstappen came over to him it was say well done on a good fight but it was anything but.

“When he first came over, I thought he was going to say, ‘Nice battle and it was a nice fight’. I was surprised at how angry he was,” he said.

Russell was especially surprised given Verstappen was on the outside with the Briton saying he was only putting himself at risk as even eight-year-olds know.

“From my side, his position was already lost and ever since eight years old in go-karting, if you’re on the inside at the apex of a corner, it’s your corner.

“If a driver is trying to resist on the outside, they’re taking a huge risk. On lap one on a street circuit, I was really quite shocked he was holding the position.

“But equally I’m here to fight, I’m here to win, I’m not just going to wave him by because he’s Max Verstappen in a Red Bull.”

He hopes Saturday’s tussle was a good lesson for the double World Champion.

“From my side, the moves were all on,” he added. “If the roles were reversed, I’m sure he would have done exactly the same. It’s part of racing. We’ll move on, we’re big boys, this is Formula 1.

“I wouldn’t have tried holding it around the outside on lap one of a street circuit. The driver on the inside has got the inside line and the corner is already lost.

“We always say between us as drivers, if you’re trying to overtake on the outside, you know the risk. Hopefully he’s learned the risk today.