Bernie Ecclestone has credited Mercedes’ team management for preventing a “lousy” world championship in 2014.<\/p>\n
Considering the German team’s utter dominance this year, the F1 ‘supremo’ admitted he was disappointed with the “attitude” of the struggling reigning champion, Sebastian Vettel.<\/p>\n
“I’m a super supporter of Sebastian,” said Ecclestone, “but I’m a little bit disappointed with his attitude, which I think has changed.”<\/p>\n
As he struggled with his Red Bull alongside Daniel Ricciardo in 2014, Vettel was highly critical of the sport’s new regulations and decided to switch to Ferrari for a new challenge next year.<\/p>\n
“He’s acting like a defeated guy,” Ecclestone said, “and he isn’t — that’s not his mentality.”<\/p>\n
Writing in the foreword of the official F1 season review, the 84-year-old Briton also criticised the man Vettel is replacing at Maranello.<\/p>\n
“Ferrari was very disappointing,” Ecclestone said, “getting lost somewhere.\u00a0 Fernando (Alonso) got a little bit like Sebastian halfway through, so I’m a little disappointed in him, too.”<\/p>\n
2014 did, at least, crown a new winner, as Mercedes totally dominated following years of Vettel’s supremacy.<\/p>\n
“I don’t think we could have lived with another Red Bull year,” Ecclestone said, “any more than we could have lived with another Schumacher (Ferrari) year.<\/p>\n
“I thought perhaps Ferrari or Red Bull or one of the other teams would catch up (with Mercedes) halfway through the season and make up a few points at the end.”<\/p>\n
He said that, in light of Mercedes’ unchallenged supremacy, it was “lucky” the Brackley team’s bosses decided to let Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg fight almost unfettered for the drivers’ crown.<\/p>\n
“We’ve been extremely lucky with what happened,” said Ecclestone.\u00a0 “These two guys have been racing each other and it’s good that Mercedes allowed them to do that.<\/p>\n
“If not, we would have had a really lousy championship.”<\/p>\n
\u00a9 RIF | GMM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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