Red Bull can take advantage if Mercedes' "eye is off the ball" - Hill
Red Bull can take advantage if Mercedes' "eye is off the ball" - Hill
Former F1 world champion Damon Hill believes an "opportunist" Red Bull can bring an end to Mercedes' domination if the Silver Arrows "take their eye off the ball".
Red Bull took the lead in the constructors' championship in Monaco and extended its advantage over rivals Mercedes to 26 points after a chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix in which neither Lewis Hamilton nor Valtteri Bottas scored whilst Sergio Perez swept up victory after Max Verstappen's tyre failure.
After suggesting Mercedes will have to fight on both fronts with eyes on this year's car and next season's new regulations, Hill recognises Red Bull will have to follow suit but believes it has a chance to take advantage.
"They are an opportunist team and I think they know that this is a chance for a championship," Hill told the F1 Nation podcast.
"They know if Mercedes slightly take their eye off the ball, they can slide in there with a slightly more competitive car than they have had."
Hamilton and Mercedes to show their best
After a difficult two races where only seven points were scored, Mercedes and Hamilton will enter the French Grand Prix weekend knowing a quick turnaround is needed to apply pressure to Red Bull.
With Hamilton adapting to the challenge of the immense pressure being applied by Verstappen, Hill has suggested the seven-time champion will show the sport his best form.
"It is great to see because we will see the best of Lewis and we will see the best of Mercedes," added Hill.
"It wasn't so long ago we were talking about Max making mistakes and costing himself points as well.
"It gets more like that when you get closer competition, especially between two teams.
"You see weak spots being exposed because you are under more pressure. Great for us, great entertainment and it is a really alive championship."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
FIA announce Mercedes singled out for F1 inspection ahead of Miami Grand Prix
- 1 minute ago
Vettel to make F1 RETURN in tribute to legend
- 46 minutes ago
Newey delivers new challenge announcement after Red Bull exit CONFIRMED
- 1 hour ago
F1 News Today: Hamilton blasted by former F1 giant as multi-world champion poised for FIA showdown
- Today 05:57
Newey Red Bull exit details confirmed as Ferrari make dramatic unveiling - GPFans F1 Recap
- Yesterday 23:57
Award-winning director reveals STUNNING tribute to F1 legend Senna
- Yesterday 22:57
Related news
Newey and Hamilton could enjoy stunning title REPEAT after F1 guru's Red Bull exit
Why Adrian Newey is the BEST and WORST thing to happen to F1
Lawyers involved as Newey aims to work for Red Bull rival ASAP
Red Bull urged to ‘stop crazy TV show’ amid chaos
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860