Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen incomparable to Prost vs Senna, claims Toto Wolff

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes the 2021 title battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen cannot be compared to the one between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. The Austrian team principal feels both sets of championship protagonists were in their own league and very different.

Speaking to the German publication Auto Motor und Sport in an exclusive interview, Wolff said:

“They are completely different types. Max is lightning fast but doesn’t have the experience yet. Lewis drives at the peak of his ability. The two raced in their own class. In some cases, they had a lead of 40 to 45 seconds on the third-placed.”

The 50-year-old Mercedes exec believes both championship protagonists have different levels of experience which makes their battle different from Senna and Prost. In several races this season, the third-placed driver behind Hamilton and Verstappen was far behind to be in contention with the two.

Senna and Prost’s rivalry from 1988 to 1993 was one of the most revered sporting rivalries in F1. Hamilton and Verstappen, meanwhile, have a 13-year age gap between the two and a difference in driving experience. The Briton, who debuted in 2007, has had eight more years of experience than the Dutchman, who debuted in 2015.

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Lewis Hamilton contemplating career in Hollywood, according to Jacques Villeneuve

Ex-F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve believes Lewis Hamilton is distancing himself from Toto Wolff and Mercedes due to their reactions to the season finale. The Canadian world champion also believes the Briton is contemplating a career in Hollywood in America instead of F1 and is conscious of his image.

Speaking to La Gazetta della Sport, Villeneuve said:

“After all, you can lose with style, whereas Toto behaved like someone who is playing Monopoly. The moment he is losing, [he] throws the whole board into the air. In doing so, Wolff suffered a lot of image damage, in my opinion. Hamilton is sensitive to that because he is thinking about his future in America, maybe even in Hollywood.”

While the 1997 world champion does not buy too much into Hamilton's silence, he does believe the Briton will return to the sport for the 2022 season.