Bernie Ecclestone is backing Lewis Hamilton for a third consecutive championship victory with Mercedes this season, despite the Briton trailing team-mate Nico Rosberg since the very first race.
Hamilton has three race wins to Rosberg's five and trails the German by 11 points in the standings – a gap which has closed significantly in the last few grands prix.
Although Ecclestone doesn't believe another Hamilton title would be best for the sport, he does believe the Mercedes driver has what it takes to beat his team-mate, having suffered "his share of bad luck" this year.
"Apart from Lewis? The only person [capable of beating him] is possibly the one who is leading the championship right now. But I believe Lewis will win againm," Ecclestone told the official Formula 1 website.
"He already had his share of bad luck this season. Take me: I don’t like too much luck, as then there is mostly a lot bad luck to follow!"
When asked if he'd bet money on another Hamilton title, the 85-year-old replied: "Yes. I am not saying that this would be the best thing for Formula 1. I am not saying that there is anything bad about Nico at all. It’s just the general circumstances."
Ecclestone also believes Mercedes are right to allow their drivers to fight on track, even if it results in a crash, as he believes that is greater publicity than another predictable victory.
"Right now people think: they will win anyway," he added. "That’s it. There are no emotions about something that is so obvious.
"The two Mercedes guys crashing gives them more popularity than winning. Just look at what is going on since Austria – more positive publicity in my opinion. It’s shown that they let their guys race. In terms of brand management, it’s D-Day."
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