Damon Hill criticizes Ferrari for chasing quick laps in testing to appease sponsors and media pressure, warning that the illusion can backfire. His viewpoint is controversial but thought-provoking.
At this time of year, when Formula 1 tries to tell its story through timing screens that don’t yet have real sporting meaning, winter testing once again becomes fertile ground for rushed judgments, inflated expectations, and messages aimed more outward than on the track. It is on this terrain that Damon Hill, speaking on The-Race podcast “Stay on Track,” offered a critical reflection targeting Ferrari and its approach to test sessions.
According to the 1996 world champion, Scuderia Ferrari shows a recurring tendency toward what he calls a “race for glory” in testing, driven by structural pressure to appear competitive even when rivals deliberately choose not to reveal their true pace. Hill sees a real risk in this dynamic—more communicative than technical, but no less dangerous.
Ferrari and parallels from the past
Hill draws a parallel with the past, referencing two teams he knows well: Arrows and Jordan. Both were midfield outfits that, in different eras, succumbed to the temptation of chasing the symbolic title of “fastest in testing.” While this strategy may satisfy sponsors and media, it can quickly become a boomerang when the focus shifts to the race weekend.
“It’s completely pointless,” explained Graham Hill’s son, delving into the matter. “The people responsible for this approach were Tom Walkinshaw at Arrows, and also at Jordan. Don’t do it! You’ll just look like idiots when race day comes and you aren’t fast!”
The central point for Damon Hill is the short-circuit between real performance and external narrative. Teams, under pressure, end up using testing as a showcase—emptying tanks or chasing a fast lap at all costs—to offer commercial partners an immediate signal of competitiveness. This choice is driven more by image than by genuine development progress.
“They do it because sponsors want a positive push. They want something to brag about,” added the former British driver, emphasizing that the pressure often comes from the ecosystem around the team rather than from the technical department itself.
Hill names Ferrari among the most exposed
In this context, Hill includes Ferrari among the teams most exposed to this type of pressure. His reference is not abstract, but tied to recent events, like last year’s tests, when Ferrari set the second fastest overall time with Lewis Hamilton, only to find themselves starting from the fourth row at the Australian Grand Prix and fading further over a forgettable season with the SF-25—a car unlikely to be remembered in Maranello’s history.
“Even Ferrari seems pretty good at this. They feel the pressure to simply get a lap time,” Hill observed, suggesting that historical and media expectations at Maranello influence even sessions that should, by definition, remain “opaque.”
The implicit comparison is with teams like Mercedes or Red Bull, which Hill believes have built a technical and communication culture that is completely opposite. Milton Keynes, in particular, is cited as an example of carefully managing data and internal work, knowing what to reveal and what to keep hidden.
“I think Red Bull is very good at keeping their cards close to their chest and not revealing too much,” Hill concluded, summarizing a philosophy that has translated into on-track results in recent years.
Does Ferrari really need to “show off” lap times?
Damon Hill’s words are almost an indictment, an expert reading of dynamics that continue to recur in Formula 1. That said, his critique seems a bit harsh for a legendary team like Ferrari, which certainly doesn’t need such gimmicks to succeed. Testing remains a complex exercise in interpretation, and bluffing is never a winning strategy. Ferrari knows this— Damon Hill, perhaps, a little less so…
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