---
title: "Damon Hill Slams Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG Over Formula 1 Dominance"
description: "The former Formula 1 world champion took his rant to Twitter, where Mercedes-AMG quickly responded."
date: "2018-03-25"
modified: "2018-03-26"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/19615/damon-hill-slams-ferrari-and-mercedes-amg-over-formula-1-dominance"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Ferrari"
  - "Formula 1"
  - "Lewis Hamilton"
  - "Mercedes-AMG"
  - "News"
  - "Racing News"
  - "Sebastian Vettel"
---

# Damon Hill Slams Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG Over Formula 1 Dominance

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/03/dzizfc6xcaeesgs-jpg-large.jpeg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

It's only the end of the first Grand Prix of the [2018 Formula 1 season](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/18532/the-casual-fans-2018-formula-1-spotters-guide>), and the level of drama happening on social media is already getting out of control. Today's episode comes courtesy of the 1996 F1 World Champion Damon Hill who blasted the two [racing powerhouses](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/18926/formula-1s-holy-trinity-leads-2018-winter-testing-but-should-they-be-nervous>), Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG, over this weekend's performance.

https://twitter.com/_/status/977677574653599744

Hill, who more often than not is quite spoken over Formula 1 and other current events, shared his rather peculiar thoughts on his personal Twitter account. The tweet implied that Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG were so ahead of the rest of the field in terms of performance (and budget), that they might as well do the sport a favor and [break away from F1](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/19116/alonso-trails-fastest-man-kimi-raikkonen-on-final-day-of-f1-testing>) already.

https://twitter.com/_/status/977689439395721216

The remark came after both manufacturers threatened to leave F1 and establish their own championship, should the rules and regulations set by [FIA and Liberty Media](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/18973/formula-1-teams-were-paid-way-less-in-2017-under-liberty-medias-ruling>) not favor them in the future. Of course, it wouldn't be social media if someone else didn't respond in a sarcastic, troll-like manner, but even I was surprised to see that sort of response come from an official manufacturer's account.

https://twitter.com/_/status/977690512433057792

Mercedes-AMG F1 decided to have a bit of fun at Hill's expense and responded with a reminder of the former champ's dominance during the mid-'90s. Call me crazy, but Mercedes' response wasn't only silly, but also poorly engineered. Hill's remark focused on the two manufacturers, who he referred to as "industrial complexes" due to their might and power. Williams, much like Force India, Haas, and even [McLaren](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/18784/alonsos-mclaren-renault-makes-it-6-laps-into-the-pre-season-test>), is far from being the industrial monster that Ferrari and Mercedes are.

In other words, Mercedes-AMG's response is dumb, because it doesn't compare apples to apples—more like apples to watermelons. Of course, Hill didn't waste any time and quickly hit back at the man or woman operating the F1 team's Twitter account, and referred to Williams as ["garagisti"](<https://context.reverso.net/translation/italian-english/garagisti>) (which he spelled garagiste, but was referring to "enthusiast-ran" racing teams), before adding "Shame on me, #f1."

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)