Hill full of praise for "great" Verstappen but tells McLaren "they shouldn't worry" about him

The Grand Prix around the circuit of Imola last weekend saw a stunning lap 1 overtake from Verstappen on pole sitter Oscar Piastri to take the lead, a lead which was then never relinquished with an imperious drive, with not even the dominant McLarens able to catch the four-time world champion.

That win saw Verstappen shake up the drivers' standings, with the Dutchman now just 22 points away from Piastri at the top of the championship after taking his second win of the 2025 season.

Verstappen's victory garnered a lot of praise, with some of it coming from an unusual place in Imola.  Hill was also quick to give the 27-year-old his flowers after an impressive drive on Sunday. 

The 1996 world champion expressed his thoughts on Instagram about the race in Imola, sharing a message about Verstappen's victory.

"Yes, he is. Great fight back as ever," came the compliment from Hill after he was asked about the Dutchman's drive at the first European race of the season.

However, the Brit believes there is no need for any worry in the McLaren garage, knowing that their constructors' championship cushion of 148 points ahead of Red Bull is safe for the rest of the 2025 season, with the papaya-coloured tesm 132 points clear of Mercedes in second place after just seven races this campaign.

"McLaren shouldn't have to worry about the constructors with Max being a team of 1. So that means Lando and Piastri should be free to fight. Assuming Max doesn't catch them! Long way to go yet," Hill explained.