Hill: "Verstappen owes those victories to his natural talent"

Max Verstappen heads to Silverstone with a comfortable lead over title rival Lewis Hamilton. With five victories in nine races, the Dutchman can now call himself title favourite.

Verstappen and Red Bull in a class of their own

In the new episode of the F1 Nation podcast Damon Hill talks about the current form of Verstappen and his team Red Bull. "Verstappen is in a class of his own, but so is Red Bull. The team has produced an absolutely brilliant car," the former Formula One driver reveals. In fact, things are going so well at Red Bull that the team doesn't always have to go to the limit. "Red Bull is now getting to a point where they don't show their advantage unless it's really necessary."

The fact that Verstappen is currently the leader in the championship is not just due to the good Red Bull car, according to Hill. "Sergio Perez is getting closer, but he's not at the same level. That shows that the car is not doing all the work. Verstappen owes those victories to his natural talent," said the 1996 world champion.

Verstappen remains incredibly cool

Aside from the on-track performance, there's something else Hill has noticed about the Dutchman. "Considering he's fighting for his first title, he's incredibly cool," the former Williams driver has noticed. "If you hear Verstappen talking in an interview, you'd say he's 34 years old. He's sharp when asked a difficult question, always responds in a reasonable manner and doesn't bristle at annoying questions. He looks formidable like he's already won titles."

Verstappen's team, meanwhile, keeps developing the RB16B. "Red Bull has introduced a new floor, engine, rear wing and front wing that all work together in harmony," Hill is impressed. "Mercedes have not brought anything new in the meantime. There is a significant improvement coming for Silverstone, but it needs to be a nice jump in performance if they are to stand a chance."