Hill's finally taken his pic: 'I'm a fan of this team!'

Damon Hill is no longer working for Sky Sports, but the pundit, viewed as one of Max Verstappen's most ardent critics, will carry out an analyst role for the Australian Grand Prix weekend. In Melbourne, he will work with an Australian broadcaster, where they will undoubtedly talk about the highly anticipated battle between the reigning Formula 1 champion and Lando Norris.

It looks like McLaren will start the season with the fastest F1 car. This does not automatically mean that Norris will simply claim the world title. After all, last year, when the Briton also had a faster car than Verstappen at Red Bull for the majority of the season, he was unable to wrestle the championship away from the now four-time world champion.

Hill knows why Norris failed to edge Verstappen out in 2024. "I think he fell into the trap last year of thinking when going up against Max that he was racing against his mate. Actually, despite their friendship, he was taking on his worst enemy. And in Max's mind when he is driving there is just Max," Hill told The Daily Mail.

The former world champion sees Norris being very strict with himself. A good trait, says the Briton. "He is not happy if he doesn't think he has got 100 per cent out of his potential. It is a hallmark of a great driver. I also like his personality."

Hill recently denied having a preference for any particular team or driver. However, speaking to the British newspaper, he now admits otherwise. "Because I live in Guildford, McLaren are my local team (in Woking, Surrey). I would like to see them do well, but not to be dominant. I would prefer it to be a hard fight, good for the fans."