The 🍸Mercedes driver earned plaudits in his 🀅first year with the team last season by outperforming Lewis Hamilton.

But this year heꦬ si꧙ts eighth in the F1 standings behind both Red Bulls, Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, both Ferraris and Lando Norris.

“I can’t make up my miᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚnd about him,” ex-F1 boss Ecclestone to♐ld the about Russell.

“I like him. He is super-talented.

“It is a matter of what he♛ is prepared to do to win. He was hoping Carlos Sainz would run out of road [at the Singapore Grand Prix]. 

“He was pushing very, very hard. I don’t think he thinks his race through🉐, something Lewis does do.”

Russell’s victory at last season’s Sao Paulo Gran♐d Prix is Mercedes’ sole win since🔯 2021, a brief ray of light in a dreadful period.

Both Mercedes drivers penned fresh contracts to remain at the team until the end of 2025 and the “needle” between them was commented upon by Sky Sports TV pundits after last weekend’s F1 Japanese Grand Prix, when th൲eir differing s🔥trategies became a talking point.

Ecclestone, now aged 92, has 🔯picked out another F1 prodigy as the best drivᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚer to target.

“If I were a team owner, I think I’d get hold of the Au꧙stralian kid,” he said about Oscar Piastri, McLaren’s rookie driver.

“He’s very 🎃good. But Max Verstappen is ඣthe best I have ever seen.”

Piastri and Norris have profited from a major leap in performance from McLaren ac🎐ross the past few races🐭, and the Aussie claimed his first F1 podium last weekend in Japan.