Max Verstappen loses to Lewis Hamilton in a straight battle as he will 'clout the wall or something in two or three' events, according to Damon Hill 

Max Verstappen would lose to Lewis Hamilton in a straight battle as he would make more mistakes. That's the view of Damon Hill, the former world champion, who compared the two drivers.

Verstappen and Hamilton had gone against each in 2021 when the paddock consensus was that the Red Bull and the Mercedes were comparable machines.

In that season, it was Max Verstappen who ended up winning the world title while Lewis Hamilton finished second. While comparing the two drivers, Damon Hill felt that while Verstappen was more in the mold of Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton was more similar to Alain Prost.

According to Hill, Verstappen would be superior in terms of being faster over a single lap. But that would also mean that he takes more risks than Hamilton when comparing how the two drivers would fare over a 10-race stretch.

Hill felt Hamilton would prevail as Verstappen would crash a few times in his desperation to be better. Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Hill said:

"Right now for pace, I would say Verstappen [is best], for sheer one-lappery. He has got that [Ayrton] Senna-esque, scary, on-the-edge speed. I know that Lewis has that too, but Lewis is that tiny bit more [Alain] Prost-like, a little bit more neat and tidy. It is just that willingness that Max has to go into the danger zone, that's the scary bit."

He added:

"It is not circumspection or caution, it is just learning there is that risk-reward factor. I think Lewis is able to do it, it is there. It is not a big difference, it is very close. If you put them together in 10 races, maybe Lewis would come out ahead and maybe Max would clout the wall or something in two or three of those events because he would want to beat Lewis so much, he would overdo it."

A second iteration of a Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen battle would be worth watching

After the first iteration seen by fans in the 2021 F1 season, no one would mind a second opportunity to see a title battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

We haven't had the opportunity to see the two drivers battle it out at the front since 2021, but if we can get a chance to see it all over again, no fan would complain.

Realistically speaking, the 2023 F1 season already seems to have its fate sealed. But the 2024 F1 season could just be the one that sees a turnaround in the fortunes of Mercedes and a renewed Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen rivalry.