Max Verstappen

F1 world champion hails AMAZING Verstappen ability no one else has

The championship leader seems to have an ability that excites one F1 icon

Joe Ellis

Monday 10 July 2023 20:12

Max Verstappen has an automatic ability that no other F1 driver boasts, according to former world champion Damon Hill.

The Dutchman currently leads the world championship by 81 points after five successive victories with a third title seemingly only a matter of time away.

A sixth win in a row at the British GP would put Verstappen among prestigious company in F1 history including Michael Schumacher and Alberto Ascari among others.

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Hill, the world champion in 1996, believes a large reason for his outstanding performances of late is his ability to immediately be on the pace from the first lap of practice.

Much like Max Verstappen, Damon Hill was an exceptional talent behind the wheel in his heyday

On the limit, always

“I think it’s confidence," Hill said on Sky Sports. "He’s able to go out and find the limit very quickly. It’s the hallmark of the great drivers. After that, they’re fine-tuning and finding tiny bits.

“He’s been doing this since he was a kid in karts. Have all the others pushed themselves to the limit? With Max, it’s automatic.

"He’s there on the limit all the time. It becomes a normal thing, rather than a peak."

Verstappen's latest victory at the Austrian Grand Prix saw him overtake Ayrton Senna on 42 grand prix victories. He also moved into the top five of all-time behind Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost.