Bernie Ecclestone concedes that Charles Leclerc may be faster than Sebastian Vettel

Ex Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is coming around to the idea that Charles Leclerc could be faster than Sebastian Vettel after previously saying that Ferrari was wrong to promote young Monegasque driver after just one season of Grand Prix racing.

It’s not often that Ecclestone will admit that he was wrong about something, but in the case of Leclerc, even the 88-year-old has been forced to concede the point.

“I thought Ferrari made a mistake by releasing Kimi (Raikkonen). He was a good teammate and didn't create any problems. He knew what he had to do,” said Ecclestone in April to France’s Auto Hebdo. “If he was asked to let Sebastian pass, he would. If he was asked to slow down a bit to stop an opponent and help the team, he would. I'm not sure Charles is ready for that job.”

Little over a month later, and with team orders being issued at almost every Grand Prix of the season, Ecclestone has completed a U-turn in his opinion.

“I was wrong, I thought that sending Raikkonen away was not a good move,” Ecclestone told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I will wait awhile before giving a final judgment, of course, but at the moment Charles seems super-fast. He has great control of the car, and he is even, perhaps, faster than Vettel.

“Seb isn’t old; what’s happening to him is strange. Maybe he thought he had an easy life and didn't realize how fast Charles could be, but I remain convinced that Vettel can win the championship.”

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