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Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has once again stirred the pot. This time around he claimed that Max Verstappen would have been able to win in the Mercedes, unlike Lewis Hamilton. The last two seasons have not been great for the German team and its star driver.
The team went from being a perennial title contender and winner for eight consecutive seasons to a squad that only managed one win in the last two years. A chunk of it has been put down to Mercedes betting on the wrong concept in 2022 and then persisting with it in 2023. As a result, during this time Max Verstappen has dominated the sport. In the last two seasons alone he has won 34 races.
Lewis Hamilton on the other hand went winless in both these seasons. Reviewing this drop, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone felt the Mercedes drivers underperformed to an extent and should have done better.
He compared them to Max Verstappen and said that the Dutch driver would have won a race in a Mercedes, Ferrari, or McLaren in 2023. As quoted by BILD, he said:
“Hamilton failed a bit. Russell wasn’t as good as he thought he was either. Still, they shouldn’t have lost so dramatically.”
He added:
“They have patiently endured Mercedes dominance, replacing each weak link one by one, developing the best team, the best design, the best car, and the best driver. Christian Horner [team principal] has done an excellent job. Max is currently the benchmark in every field. You could also put him in a McLaren, and probably a Ferrari or a Mercedes, and he would still win.”
Lewis Hamilton's last two seasons and its contrast with Max Verstappen
Ever since the last race of the 2021 F1 season in Abu Dhabi, both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have seen their careers go in different directions. Verstappen overcame Charles Leclerc early on in 2022 and dominated to win the title that season. Lewis on the other hand was outscored by teammate George Russell.
The 2023 F1 season saw Max Verstappen take dominance to a whole another level. He won a record 19 races in the season and dropped only three of them. Lewis on the other hand had a better season compared to his teammate George Russell and outscored him. He was, however, unable to win a race once again and extended his winless streak to two years now.
