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

But this year he sits eighth in the F1 standings behind both Red Bulls, Hamilt🐻on, Fernando Alonso, both Ferraris and Lando Norris.

“I can’t make up my ꦜmind about him,” ex-F1 boss Ecclestone told the about Russell.

“I like him. He is super-talented.

“It is a matter of what he is prepa😼red 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 s꧋eason’s Sao Paulo Grand 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 their differing strategies became a talking point.

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

“If I were a tea�🍸�m owner, I think I’d get hold of the Australian kid,” he said about Oscar Piastri, McLaren’s rookie driver.

“He’s very good. But Max Verst꧙appen is the best I have ever seen.”

Piastri and Norris have profited from a major leap in performance from McLaren across the past few races, and the Aussie claimed his first F1 podium last weekend in Ja💙pan.