Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has warned Red Bull and Max Verstappen were in "a league of their own" on long runs in practice as Lewis Hamilton shapes up to challenge his rival for Hungarian Grand Prix victory. The 2021 F1 title protagonists will start on the front row together for the first time since the controversial Abu Dhabi season-finale that season following Hamilton's stellar last-gasp pole effort at the Hungaroring. Hamilton was just 0.003secs faster than the Dutchman en route to picking up his first pole since Saudi Arabia two seasons ago. Controversy often arrives when the duo fight each other on track, leaving a tantalising prospect for those watching the run down to Turn 1.
Asked if fireworks were to be expected on the opening lap, Wolff told media including RacingNews365 : "It will be good fun, neither has anything to risk or to lose. "So they will for sure be racing each other at the beginning. It will be great. "Lewis will be giving it everything he has to have a great fight, but we also need to stay realistic. "They were in a league of their own in the long runs [in FP3]. But this is motor racing. "Everything can be different [in the race], maybe we have a car and a driver in the best state of mind to fight against them and other cars that were also strong."
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