Wednesday, December 8th, 2021
“A child compared to Lewis”
Ecclestone sees campaign against Verstappen
Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone thinks that the world championship will not be decided until the last race is “good for sport”. The 91-year-old does not see the World Cup leader Max Verstappen as a favorite, despite the mathematical advantages. Because of the games Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton played.
Former Formula 1 patron Bernie Ecclestone guesses Lewis Hamilton in the season finale. The experience of the 36-year-old record world champion and the “psychological games” that his Mercedes team is playing against the Red Bull driver Max Verstappen favored Hamilton, said Ecclestone.
At 24, Verstappen is “a kid compared to Lewis, and the worst part is that Lewis has a massive campaign behind him,” added 91-year-old Ecclestone. “Max has to deal with more than just the race because he also has Mercedes on his neck. Those are psychological games. ” The Briton Hamilton is “an extremely talented and very cunning driver” for his compatriot Ecclestone.
“Great for Sports”
Before the last race of the season on Sunday in Abu Dhabi (2 p.m. / Sky and in the live ticker at ntv.de), Verstappen and Hamilton are tied at the top of the championship. That last happened in 1974, when the Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi (McLaren) won against Clay Regazzoni (Ferrari) from Switzerland. Like Verstappen, Fittipaldi went into the final with the advantage of being in the lead due to the more race victories achieved with a tie. At that time, Ecclestone was not the head of Formula 1, but as a team owner he was directly involved in the outcome. His pilot Carlos Reutemann won the 1974 final at the Brabham in Watkins Glen, USA.
For Ecclestone, known as “Mister E”, who, despite various allegations of corruption, steered the fortunes of the premier class for more than 40 years until he was disembarked in early 2017, the winner of the duel between Verstappen and Hamilton is not the better one, but “the happier one”. Ultimately, the close and sometimes over-tough duel between the two drivers is “great for the sport,” says Ecclestone: “In recent years, people have known very well who would win, but this season has been incredible.”
Even if Hamilton should make his eighth world title perfect and rise to the sole record world champion in front of Michael Schumacher (seven), he would not be the best of all time for Ecclestone. This remains Alain Prost. The Frenchman (world champion 1985, 1986, 1989 and 1993) drove his racing car “alone and without help” and had “always very, very capable teammates”.