Ecclestone tips Hamilton to win third F1 title this season

Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone has tipped reining champion Lewis Hamilton to win a third title this season and has backed the Mercedes team to dominate for years to come.

Ecclestone claimed that whether Hamilton is favourite or not, he believes that the two time Formula One champion is going to win this season's title as well.

Ecclestone insisted that Mercedes has done such a good job with this power unit, adding that it's left everybody behind and he can't see people catching up that quickly. He added that maybe in three years people can catch up but insisted that they cannot afford to wait three years, or two years or one year, Stuff.co.nz reported.

Hamilton grabbed his second championship title last season after winning 11 of the 19 races for the dominant team, with German teammate Nico Rosberg taking five victories and finishing runner-up.

Ecclestone said that the Briton, who celebrated his 30th birthday this month, was a good champion for Formula One because he was better known than Rosberg and more easily recognizable.

Ecclestone added that Hamilton is a rapper, so they are going to get to a completely different audience as well now. He said that Hamilton is going to be good as a world champion.

The Formula One season would start in Australia on March 15, the report added.