Ecclestone: 'Verstappen would do just as well or better than Hamilton at Mercedes'

Bernie Ecclestone loves what Lewis Hamilton does inside and outside Formula 1, but he believes that Max Verstappen and perhaps Sebastian Vettel are capable of the same things on the track as the Mercedes driver. According to Ecclestone, Hamilton owes his World Championship titles mainly to the German car and the support of his team.

"You would automatically say Lewis. But are there other guys who would do a job as good as or better than him in the same team? Probably yes," Ecclestone starts talking to AutoCar. The 89-year-old Brit mentioned Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel as examples. "Max, a hundred per cent. Certainly Sebastian, although he has he gone off a little bit."

Ecclestone emphasizes the importance of support

According to Ecclestone it's mainly about the car in which they drive and the support the team gives to a driver. "All these guys are as good as the support they get. Lewis has got the maximum support. There’s not one thing missing from what he’s got behind him", said the billionaire, who stated that the lack of support is also the reason why Vettel was able to achieve inferior performance in 2018 and 2019.

It has not escaped Ecclestone that Hamilton has a different personality than many other drivers. "Yeah. He’s different. That’s great. He’s a first-class guy. He’s actually bigger than F1", he praises the seven-time world champion. "Nothing wrong with launching clothes lines or having rappers as friends. I don’t think people give him an instruction book and start telling him what to do. He’s in a position where he can speak out and wake a few people up, and I’m pleased he’s using it", concludes the former owner of F1.