"It was much easier in my day" - Former F1 world champion says he 'wouldn't be able to cope very well' being in Max Verstappen's position

Max Verstappen and his generation of drivers have a greater resolve to deal with all the scrutiny in F1, according to former driver-turned-analyst, Damon Hill.

Hill, a world champion himself back in 1996 with Williams, admitted he wouldn't be able to cope with the media bombardment Max Verstappen and his peers face today. During a discussion on the F1 Nation podcast, the Briton said:

“It was much easier in my day, we had a press conference. Then, after the race, the journalists would come around to the motor home and ask a few questions, you got on your plane and went home. [Nowadays] they work so hard, they are constantly bombarded the moment they get out of the car – I don’t know how they cope, honestly, these drivers today.”

Hill felt he lacked the composure to be a modern-day F1 driver, adding further:

“It’s just relentless, the interviews and stuff. I wouldn’t be able to cope very well. I would probably drop a few clangers and say, ‘I am really bleep bleep bleep!’ They ask how do you feel? You can’t say, ‘I’m being philosophical about it’. No, it is really not a good time to talk to them.”

The 24-year-old will be hoping to show that composure on track for the 2022 F1 Imola GP, which will have the first sprint race of the season.

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"He has matured" - Dr. Helmut Marko on the evolution of the once erratic Max Verstappen

Like Damon Hill, Dr. Helmut Marko also singled out Max Verstappen for his newfound maturity after winning the 2021 F1 World Drivers' Championship.

The Dutchman has toned down ranting and become calmer in the face of obstacles en route to his maiden title, according to Marko, who said:

“He has matured. The difference is that, for example, if we had problems in free practice this year [2021], he stayed calm. The impatience he had before was also visible in the races from time to time, for example when lapped cars didn’t get out of the way. He definitely learned that over time.”

The Red Bull driver has been known to lose his cool after races with drivers and media in seasons past. During a press conference in the lead-up to the 2018 Canadian GP, the Dutchman was asked why he was involved in numerous incidents and accidents. Verstappen replied, saying:

“I don’t know, and like I said at the beginning of this press conference, I’m really tired of all the questions. I think if I’ll get a few more, I might headbutt someone.”

The 24-year-old also famously went looking for Esteban Ocon after the 2018 Brazilian GP after the two collided on track.