The Mercedes dri♛ver earned plaudits in his first year with the team last season by outperforming 🌺Lewis Hamilton.

But this 𝔉year he sits eighth in the F1 standings behind both Red Bulls, Hamil💖ton, Fernando Alonso, both Ferraris and Lando Norris.

“I can’t make up my mind ▨about him,” ex-F1 boss Eccles🐠tone told 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 Carlo🔯s 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 Grand Prix isဣ Mercedes’ sole win since 2021, a brief ray of light in a ꧙dreadful period.

Both Mercedes drivers penn༺ed 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 their differing strat🍎egies became a talking point.

Ecclestone, now aged 92, has picked 🍷out another F1 prodigy as the best driver to target.

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

“He’s very g🔜ood. But Max Verstappen is the best I have ever seen.”

Piastri and Norris have profited from a major leap in performance from McLaren acrosཧs the past few races, and the Aussie claimed his first F🌌1 podium last weekend in Japan.