Ecclestone reminds the competition of Verstappen: 'No reason why not'
F1 News
According to Bernie Ecclestone, not much will change in terms of who will be called the defending world champion in 2026. The former CEO of the Formula One Group believes Max Verstappen will win his fifth title in a row.
Ecclestone backs Verstappen to win it all
Talking to Reuters, Ecclestone was clear about who will bring home the drivers' title at the end of the season. "I still think Max will win. There's no reason why he shouldn't," the Briton began.
While Max Verstappen has quite a resume already of his previous performances, a driver can only do so much if they have a worse car at their disposal. Ecclestone also sees that is the only thing that could hurt the Dutchman's chances.
"If he's got the equipment, obviously there'd be no discussion about him. It would be a definite. If the car's up to it, he'll get the job done," he explained.
However, Ecclestone also added that McLaren and Ferrari cannot be ruled out either. By the end of the previous season, both teams could overtake Red Bull Racing in the constructors' standings, with the Britons taking the crown at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix thanks to Lando Norris' victory. Despite Hamilton's arrival, Ecclestone also expects Ferrari to give preferential treatment to Charles Leclerc instead of Lewis Hamilton. He would not rule out the seven-time world champion having a shot at winning, but believes Ferrari would be in favour of supporting the Monegasque driver.
This article was written in collaboration with Sandy van Wijngaarden
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