British Formula 1 great Damon Hill has accused reigning world champion Max Verstappen of using his car as a weapon, likening him to the Wacky Races cartoon character Dick Dastardly.
Red Bull’s Verstappen received two 10-second penalties for running McLaren’s Lando Norris off the track in Mexico last weekend, the latest examples of the Dutchman’s aggressive tactics.
Hill was on the receiving end of similar moves during his battles with Michael Schumacher in the 1990s and questioned whether Verstappen was capable of abiding by the rules.
“On the exit of Turn 4, Max clearly makes a beeline for the edge of the track to prevent Lando from having any chance at all,” he said.
“The area footage is very clear. He made no attempt to back off and make the corner and leave room for Lando. It was simply a case of ‘you are not coming through’.
“The second move was just daft and Dick Dastardly stuff. He accelerated to the apex and drove Lando off the track and Lando didn’t have much option. That was silly driving.
“Max let himself down there. He has such brilliance and such competitive spirit but I don’t think that was something to be proud of.
“It is possible to race fairly, and that is something I am not sure Max is capable of. It is not in his repertoire, it is not in his philosophy. His philosophy is ‘you are not coming past’.”
Verstappen’s driving is in the spotlight as he suddenly finds himself back down the grid, having continued his dominance of recent years in the first half of the season.
He remains 47 points clear of nearest challenger Norris with four races to go, starting in Brazil this weekend, and looks likely to claim a fourth successive drivers’ title.
But the 27-year-old has been hurt by Red Bull’s loss of speed, which has seen them overtaken by both Ferrari and McLaren in the constructor standings in recent races.