F1 News
Hill responds to criticism: 'Otherwise few knew who Lewis or Max were'
- Ludo van Denderen
His win in Las Vegas did not change his opinion. While Max Verstappen had enjoyed the intense battles during the Grand Prix, the whole circus that framed the race in the gambling city was not necessary for him. Damon Hill, former Formula One world champion, largely agrees with Verstappen's words, but also makes a comment.
After qualifying, Verstappen had explained why, in principle, he is not a fan of racing in places like Las Vegas. "I can go on for a long time, but I feel like a kind of show element is important, but I like emotion and for me, when I was a little kid, it was about the emotion of the sport, what I fell in love with, and not the show of the sport around it because I think as a real racer, that shouldn't really matter," the Red Bull Racing driver told.
'F1 cannot live on just the hardcore fans'
Damon Hill also saw this snippet of the press conference. On X, he reacted to Verstappen's words. "He speaks well and I agree with much of what he is saying. But if F1 relied only on the hardcore motor racing fan, few would know who Max or Lewis were. It's a trade-off. But we must fight to keep really challenging circuits for sure."
He speaks well and I agree with much of what he is saying. But if F1 relied only on the hardcore motor racing fan, few would know who Max or Lewis were. Its a trade off. But we must fight to keep really challenging circuits for sure. #f1
— Damon Hill (@HillF1) November 21, 2023
Hill is no doubt referring to circuits like Silverstone, Monza and Spa-Francorshamps. The latter race in particular now has to fight almost every year to keep a spot on the calendar, while new places - such as Las Vegas - have been set by F1 as race venues for many years.