- Verstappen and Norris are locked in a battle to win the drivers championship
- They clashed for the second week in a row in Mexico as Norris benefitted
- Verstappen has been slated for his approach to wheel-to-wheel racing recently
Max Verstappen has been accused of ‘Dick Dastardly’ following his clash with Lando Norris at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Verstappen is locked in a battle with Lando Norris for the drivers world championship, looking to win his fourth title in a row with a 47-point lead and four races remaining in the season.
Norris has closed to gap in the second half of the season, with McLaren looking more impressive and set to win the constructors title and Red Bull struggling.
In Mexico, Verstappen received two separate 10-second penalties for a clash with Norris, having forced him off track as the two rivals went wheel-to-wheel for position.
And now, the Dutchman has been slated by 1996 drivers champion Damon Hill for his tactics in the race, which resulted in him finishing sixth.
Max Vertsappen has been accused of ‘Dick Dastardly’ tactics by a former world champion
The Dutchman clashed with rival Lando Norris at the Mexican Grand Prix and received two 10-second penalties
Norris is chasing down Verstappen in a bid to win the drivers world championship in Formula One
‘The area footage is very clear,’ Hill told Sky Sports. ‘He made no attempt to back off and make the corner and leave room for Lando. It was simply a case of you are not coming through.
‘The second move was just daft and Dick Dastardly stuff. He accelerated to the apex and drove Lando off the track and Lando didn’t have much option. That was silly driving.
‘Max let himself down there. He has such brilliance, and such competitive spirit, but I don’t think that was something to be proud of.
‘It is possible to race fairly, and that is something I am not sure Max is capable of. It is not in his repertoire, it is not in his philosophy. His philosophy is you are not coming past.’
Dick Dastardly was a character in a TV series in 1960s TV series Wacky Races, who would try and win races using by underhand tactics.
It wasn’t the first time Verstappen had come under criticism, with the driver known for his aggressive approach when it comes to fighting for position.
‘They say that sport doesn’t build character, it shows character,’ Hill added. ‘And his default is to revert to preventative methods rather than trying to keep it within the bounds of fairness.’
‘You shouldn’t be allowed to use your car as a weapon and simply block the track.’
Red Bull have claimed their driver’s innocence and Verstappen fought his corner after the race.
Damon Hill also accused Verstappen of not playing fair in his bid to retain his title once again
Verstappen and Norris are good friends but have been involved in a number of clashes
He insisted that he will move on quickly from the punishment, deciding to focus on his race as a whole instead.
‘I just drive how I think I have to drive,’ he said. ‘Last week it was all right, this week 20 seconds penalty.
‘I am not going to cry about it and I am also not going to share my opinion. The biggest problem I had is that it was a bad day in terms of race pace.’