Wolff: Lewis and Max duel boosted interest in F1 again

Wolff's claims are very credible, as the 2021 F1 season was one for the ages, as two of the greatest drivers the sport has ever seen slugged it out over the course of 22 races, both targeting the coveted F1 Drivers' Championship.

Although the season ended in controversy at the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, but that did not make the season any less exciting, with the season finale attracting record viewership all over the world.

Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Wolff said: "This duel certainly boosted interest once again. Formula 1 has clearly benefited from this.

"It was already apparent last year that we were attracting a younger audience," he went on. "This has become a fan base in its own right. You could almost talk about a changing of the generational guard.

"Netflix has brought a new dimension to the sport," Wolff said referring to the "Drive to Survive" series by Netflix. "Suddenly the characters became interesting to people who didn't follow sports before.

"That opened up this new target group for us," he revealed.

Wolff thinks there is no reason why the current upward trend in F1 popularity should not continue in 2022. He said: "There's no macro- or microeconomic reason why Formula 1 won't continue to prosper, unless Corona hits us very hard again.

"The sport is hip, interest is huge and coverage is better than ever. We'll have a second race in the U.S. in Miami in 2022, and maybe even a third in 2023.

"All the signs point to a positive future," he insisted.

The relentless fight between Hamilton and Verstappen in 2021 reminded many F1 fans of the epic battles between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost - two legends of the sport - in the 1980's especially when they shared the same garage at McLaren.

Wolff begged to differ when asked if he saw the similarities. He said: "No, they're completely different guys. Max is lighting-fast, but he doesn't have the experience yet.

"Lewis is driving at the zenith of his ability. The two drove in a class of their own. At times, they had a 40 to 45-second lead over the third-place finisher," the Austrian mused.

With George Russell, a talented young gun joining Mercedes for 2022, Wolff doesn't seem to be worried about the prospects of having intra-team clashes between his drivers.

"I'd like to see us have two lighting-fast drivers racing for victory," Wolff insisted. "And if not, then we need these drivers to get our car back on the winning track.

"Lewis' greatness is often unfairly questioned," was Wolff's answer when asked how Hamilton might deal with defeat at the hands of Russell.

"Even after what happened in Abu Dhabi, he immediately congratulated Max," he added.

"Lewis wants only one thing: fair competition on the track. That's what we'll deliver," the 48-year-old Mercedes boss concluded.