Toto Wolff Refuses to Compare Max Verstappen to Ayrton Senna Despite Supernatural F1 Dominance

When you think back to what made Ayrton Senna the driver he was, what comes to mind? Was it his exceptional talent behind the wheel or his daring and precise driving style? Or was his greatness defined only by his dominance in Formula 1? And if you consider all these aspects as contributing factors to making him a legend of the sport, there might be someone else who could be compared to Senna. With his talent and daring driving style, coupled with this era of dominance, would you say Max Verstappen has become a Formula 1 legend? Well, Toto Wolff believes Verstappen hasn’t quite reached that level yet.

The Mercedes team principal is no stranger to dominant periods in F1. He was at the helm of one himself when he led Mercedes to eight Constructors Championships from 2014 to 2021—and that period highlighted Lewis Hamilton’s prowess. But after Mercedes handed over the baton to Red Bull in 2022, Max Verstappen has been on the charge. And this season specifically has been one of the most dominating performances in F1—with Verstappen winning 9 of the 11 races so far, on course to win his 8th consecutive one at the Belgian GP.

While discussing this dominance in comparison to Senna’s era, Toto Wolff told RaceFans.net, as quoted by f1maximaal.nl, “It’s so hard to compare drivers from different generations, but Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, both legends of the sport, and I think Max will soon join that group.” [Translated by Google] He believes Max still has something to prove before he enters the coveted group of legends. But as soon as he won his 41st race in Montreal—equaling Senna’s record—Christian Horner believed Max had proved himself as one of the greats.

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He said, “What we’re witnessing with Max is the emergence of another mega talent, and you can start to talk about him in the same sentences as the greats.” While Toto Wolff isn’t quite ready to compare Verstappen to Senna, an F1 expert compared another driver to the Brazilian great.

Lando Norris beat Max Verstappen to the Senna comparison

The 2023 season has been a rollercoaster for McLaren. It started the year almost at the back of the grid, but after a significant upgrade package it introduced over the past few weeks, the Woking team is back competing toward the front of the field. And Lando Norris and Oscar Piastr have excelled in extracting everything from their MCL60s, with Norris even securing two podiums—one of which came at his home race in Silverstone.

After watching his British GP performance, F1 journalist and former Ferrari General Manager Peter Windsor said, “I’m a guy that was around Ayrton Senna when he was in FF 2000. “Lando has some magic about him that reminds me of Senna. It’s something to do with inner confidence. It’s something to do with the way he thinks about driving and racing and something to do with the questions he asks as well. There’s a similar electricity about the two of them, and it’s really nice to see. “

Do you think Max Verstappen is comparable to Ayrton Senna?

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