“He’s still going to be chased hard”: Max Verstappen should expect a tough road to the F1 championship in 2024 as per Damon Hill

Former F1 world champion Damon Hill claimed that he believed that Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was "still going to be chased hard” in the second half of the season. F1 will return after the summer break to host the 4th edition of the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend at the iconic Zandvoort circuit.

Before the summer break, fans were treated to an epic battle at the front with seven drivers winning the 14 completed races from four teams. The three-time world champion Verstappen led Lando Norris by 78 points at the end of the first half of the 2024 season. But he hasn't won a race on track since the Spanish GP in late June, where he finished ahead of the McLaren driver.

While appearing on the "F1 Nation" podcast, Damon Hill mentioned that Max Verstappen could still have a fight on his hands despite the gap to Norris and with just 10 races remaining in the season. He said (via PlanetF1):

“I think he’s shown slight frustration. He’s been quite critical of the team, and he wants to see more action because he’s starting to have to work a lot harder than he has been used to in the last couple of years."

“I think he will have to fight really hard for this championship. So whether they can come up with a little bit more pace for him on the development of the car, I’m sure they can, but he’s still going to be chased hard all the way through to the end.”

---

Max Verstappen previews the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen stated that he was feeling 'refreshed' ahead of competing in his home race in Zandvoort, which he had won for the last three years.

As per "PitPass," the Dutch driver also previewed the weekend and spoke about his fondness for the track:

"It was good to spend some time relaxing with family and friends over the summer break and we are feeling refreshed and ready for the second half of the season. It is great to start it back at my home race; it is always a fantastic atmosphere, and the fans are incredible, so it is a special one for me."

"It is a great circuit, with its short straights and narrow track and hopefully we can come back even stronger for this race," he added. "We are looking forward to the week ahead and hopefully, we can be fighting for the win."

The Dutch GP this weekend would mark Max Verstappen's 200th race in the sport, having made his debut at the 2015 Australian GP with Toro Rosso. The 26-year-old would hope to mark the special occasion by winning the Dutch GP for the fourth consecutive time and extend his championship lead over Lando Norris.