Before Max Verstappen became this worldwide sensation and the F1 fans’ only hope to usurp Lewis Hamilton from this Championship throne, he was just a really young boy with a famous father. When he made his debut in F1 in 2015, the Motorsport fans were apprehensive as to how he would fare.

But since then, Max went on to become the youngest driver ever to score his first F1 points aged a little over seventeen. During all his early F1 races, one person was scrutinizing Max—and that is Franz Tost. Now, he talked about how similar Max and Senna are in his latest interview.

WATCH STORY: Mad Max: Verstappen’s Angriest Rants on Team Radio

Max Verstappen is just like Senna

Team manager of Scuderia Alpha Tauri since 2005, Franz has seen the rise and fall of many drivers’ careers from the F1 paddocks. He recognized Verstappen’s talent and in 2016, Verstappen started the season alongside Carlos Sainz, driving for Toro Rosso.

A long time has passed since then, and now Red Bull’s Championship bet Max Verstappen is giving the defending Champion Lewis Hamilton a run for his money. The 65-year-old Tost spoke about the Dutch racer in his recent interview with Sport1.

“It’s (comparing between Verstappen and Senna) always difficult: But I think that he is most likely to go in the direction of Senna in terms of his willingness to take risks and the will to absolutely win.”, said the veteran Alpha Tauri F1 team boss.

READ MORE: How Many Cars Does Max Verstappen Have in his Garage?

Senna, the former Brazilian F1 driver who has become almost synonymous with the name Formula 1, was known for being a ruthless competitor. The three-time World Champion was so invested in the sport that his intense rivalries with other famous drivers like Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell are talked about even today. With the fierce fight that Verstappen is putting up with Hamilton, the similarities between him and Senna are pretty evident.

Russian GP and the subsequent Title Race

After the race at Monza where the two rivals collided, everyone said that is the climactic moment of their rivalry. Then, Verstappen and Hamilton had another go at it in Russia. Even after lots of planning, Valtteri could not block Max’s Red Bull and he came second, narrowing the gap between him and Lewis. Now, only 7 races are remaining before the F1 Drivers’ Championship results are decided. Who will take the crown and who will lose the battle? That remains to be seen.