Bernie Ecclestone: Lewis Hamilton is the best of the world champions

Bernie Ecclestone is known both for his greed and his frankness. His statements about Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend are testament to this. While the former supposedly does not have the favor of German supporters, the latter would barely be recognizable on the street. According to Ecclestone, these drivers do not seem to be marketable for business and the promotion of Formula 1 in general. To become “bankable,” merely playing for victory is not enough. This is why Rosberg and Vettel are the polar opposites of the double British world champion, Lewis Hamilton.

« He is a hero in the United Kingdom. » notes on one hand Ecclestone, then adds that « he is a great promoter for F1. » This makes it the reason for the love the British still have for the pinnacle of motorsport. Clearly, the great moneyman is more interested in his attitude off the track than his grip on the championship: « He touches anyone in the world. He can more or less go to most places in the world without being seen as an F1 driver, people will always recognize him ». Obviously, his virtual popularity plays a role: by regularly showing on major social networks his dogs, his friends, his sports activities, his photoshoots, or his passion for music, the current leader of the world championship maintains his own notoriety on one hand, and contributes to the phenomenon of the glamorization of drivers on the other. It is noted that he has nearly 2.8 million “followers” on Twitter.

Despite this, there are various sporting reasons to commend the talent of the Mercedes driver: runner-up in the world championship in his first year, winner by only his sixth Grand Prix, among others. But achievements are no longer enough; one must know how to communicate and sometimes even boast about one’s own accomplishments. This is something Lewis Hamilton has understood very well, much to Ecclestone’s delight.