F1 champion stung by 'bandits' after costly error

lewis hamilton, natalie pinkham, damon hill, sky f1, 2019, silverstone — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 champion stung by 'bandits' after costly error

Damon Hill was bitten by so-called 'bandits'

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 13 September 2025 21:58

Former F1 champion Damon Hill has been angered by 'bandits' at a currency exchange company that gave him a bad exchange rate.

Hill won the 1996 word championship title, and had been a pundit on Sky Sports F1 between 2012-2024, before being axed by the company at the end of last season.

It means that the Brit is now enjoying retirement, while still keeping up with the F1 action and expressing his views on social media.

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Hill has also now revealed that he went to Monza last weekend to watch the Italian Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen managed to claim a stunning victory to keep his faint championship hopes alive.

The 1996 champion wasn't too happy about the amount of euros he got for £300 while at London Heathrow Airport, however, taking to X to express his dismay.

"5th Sept I went to Monza," Hill revealed to his followers. "Bought some €s. Despite £ being valued at €1.15 on FX, to buy €300 cost me £340.46 via Travelex. And the card issuer might charge me for using the atm!

"Shocking behaviour! So be aware people, bandits are everywhere!"

Hill sees McLaren mishap

Following a McLaren strategy mishap at Monza, Hill immediately took to X to suggest that one of his previous victories might have been at risk at being scratched from the record.

At the Italian GP, with the hope of covering off a late charge from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, McLaren opted to pit championship leader Oscar Piastri first, despite Lando Norris being ahead of the Australian.

When Norris then inevitably experienced a slow pit stop, Piastri was able to undercut Norris, leaving the championship leader in second and his furious team-mate in third.

McLaren then asked Piastri to swap positions with Norris to reinstate the order between them before the pit stops, which Piastri did without too many complaints on team radio.

Taking to X to comment on the matter, Hill joked: "In 1993 I won the Italian GP (in part) because Alain Prost's Renault engine blew up. I'm now worried Renault will ask me to give the result back to him!"

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