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Max Verstappen 'dangerous' but compared to Senna by Toto Wolff

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has likened Max Verstappen to Ayrton Senna but also called the 18-year-old "refreshing but dangerous" following the Belgian Grand Prix

Red Bull driver Verstappen tangled with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen at Spa, initially at the La Source hairpin on lap one which resulted in both drivers sustaining damage to their cars in an incident with Sebastian Vettel.

Verstappen and Raikkonen later clashed again, initially at Les Combes where they touched before the Finn was left irate with the Dutch youngster's moves at high speed along the Kemmel Straight on the following lap.

Raikkonen: Verstappen will have massive accident

"He is refreshing for me. He is a young boy I like a lot," said Wolff, who tried to sign Verstappen before he became a Red Bull junior in 2014.

"He comes in here with no fear, no respect, puts the elbows out.

"It reminds me of the great ones - it reminds me of Lewis [Hamilton], of Ayrton Senna.

"You can see that some guys are starting to think twice about how to overtake him.

"Until now, all that has proven he is on the right track.

"The FIA has not penalised it, the only thing that has happened is that he has been given a hard time in the drivers' briefings.

"Maybe next time, he will have a harder time.

"I just fear it might end up in the wall heavily one day. It is refreshing but dangerous."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner defended his driver on Sunday evening, but was also unimpressed with Wolff getting involved in the debate.

Horner said: "I'm surprised Toto is commenting on something that has nothing to do with him."

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