Ex-F1 champion claims Max Verstappen ‘purely the difference’ in thrilling Emilia Romagna GP victory against Lando Norris

Verstappen raised the total to 59 race wins after his impressive win in the 63-lap Imola race. The Dutchman had scored some highly dominant victories which weren’t considered ‘satisfactory’ by many. However, Hill claimed that victories like those in Imola were extremely satisfying for the drivers, especially the Dutchman.

This kind of victory gives the driver more satisfaction than a solo performance far ahead of the field. Damon Hill noted.

Damon Hill labeled Max Verstappen as ‘better than the rest’ after Imola triumph

Max Verstappen was facing multiple challenges and issues with his RB20 throughout the Italian weekend. The Dutchman was vocal regarding the issues with his chassis. Regardless, the reigning world champion scored the pole position and subsequently the race win. Considering this, Hill highlighted that Verstappen knew exactly what to do in terms of racing around the tricky Enzo E Dino racing circuit.

Additionally, the Briton labeled the three-time world champion as ‘better than the rest’ due to his impressive win in Italy. According to Hill, the 26-year-old had to ‘tap into’ all his talents to score the race win this time around. Hence, Verstappen and Lando Norris were building a healthy rivalry with each other on the grid.

Max knows exactly what to do, He secured pole position as well as victory. Max is just better than the rest, isn't he? He had to tap into all his talent to win. It seems that a healthy, sporting rivalry is developing between him and Verstappen. Damon Hill concluded.

Red Bull will have to keep up with the in-season upgrades to continue enjoying the lead over the rivals. Ferrari and McLaren have been providing the Austrian constructor with tough competition this time around. Hence, the team will likely sport multiple updates to the RB20 over the course of the 2024 season to disable any chances of being ousted from the top spot.