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Hill - Harder for Vettel next year

Former world champion thinks McLaren will provide a stronger challenge

Last Updated: November 14, 2011 10:44pm

McLaren will push Vettel

Former world champion Damon Hill told Sky Sports News on Monday that Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull might find it harder to win a third successive world title in 2012.

Hill, the 1996 drivers' champion, thinks Vettel, who became F1's youngest title winner in 2010 before retaining it in dominant fashion this year, will face a stronger challenge from McLaren pair Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

"I don't think anyone dominates forever, and that's a good thing. It's very hard to be competing in Formula One at the front end, and to maintain that year-on-year over a decade would be unheard of," Hill said.

"I think you have to make hay when the sun shines and Red Bull are fantastic right now. They might be doing it again next year - I can't see them losing their advantage - but McLaren are getting stronger all the time."

Two against one

Hill pointed out that McLaren might also have an advantage in that, right now, they arguably have a stronger driver pairing in Hamilton and Button than Red Bull do in Vettel and Mark Webber.

Although Vettel has won 11 races so far this season, Webber has yet to stand on the top step of the podium in 2011. Button and Hamilton have each won three times, with the latter victorious in Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

"It's two against one," Hill said. "I think at the moment they might have the edge on Mark in the Red Bull.

"Mark is very strong but they've got two top drivers in the McLaren and I'm sure they'll be absolutely flat out over the winter to close the gap on Red Bull."

Hill, who retired in 1999 with a record of 22 victories in 115 grand prix starts, added: "It's harder when you've won to then steel yourself and put in the same effort again - to win again and keep doing that.

"It's much harder on Red Bull to carry that. In some ways it's easier to catch up."

Credit: Sky Sports (www.skysports.com)