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Damon Hill mentioned that Max Verstappen does not like to finish second while talking about the results of Red Bull at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The race in Jeddah was an emotional rollercoaster for Max Verstappen. A driveshaft issue during the qualifying session saw him retire the car and start the race P15. As bad as it was, the Dutchman managed to finish P2 in the race behind his teammate, Sergio Perez, who was on the pole. He was also able to set the fastest lap during the final lap of the race.
It was quite an achievement for Verstappen to gain all those places with the fastest lap. However, there was still some disappointment for him and his father, Jos Verstappen.
It was obvious after the phenomenal performance that he was hoping for a win, which did not happen. Damon Hill, the former F1 world champion, mentioned the same, as Autosport quoted him saying:
"Whatever happens, the Verstappens won't be taking it lying down. You saw after Saudi Arabia that Max was... I would say sulking is not too strong a word. He looked very unhappy about the way things went. They don't like coming second."
Damon Hill feels Max Verstappen can pressurize Red Bull to not let Sergio Perez interfere in his race victories
Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen have been racing as teammates since the 2021 season. The Mexican has not been of much competition for Verstappen and the two have shared a decent relationship on track. There have been a few 'heated moments', though, in the past season.
Perez was extremely strong in Jeddah, and it is thought that he could challenge Verstappen more throughout the length of the season. At the same time, however, Damon Hill feels that the double-world champion can pressurize the team to let Checo out of the way.
"I think the problem that you have is that Max is a bit of a force of nature, and it's how much pressure he can put on the team to make sure his championship aspirations are not interfered with by Checo."
He also believes that apart from the driver himself, Verstappen's father could also pressurize the team to let the Dutchman win over his teammate. Hill feels that he should be given an equal opportunity as Verstappen to fight for race wins.
However, with Max Verstappen 'stealing' (as has been termed by many) the fastest lap in Jeddah, it looks tough for Perez to battle his teammate for the championship.
Red Bull are in complete domination and the only team that has challenged them is Aston Martin in the two rounds. Hence, the battle might as well be between the two drivers.
