Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone believes that Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who lost the world number one crown to former teammate Nico Rosberg in Abu Dhabi, will win his fourth Formula 1 World Championship next season, regardless of who his team mate is.
Rosberg finished second in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which was enough to hand him his first world Formula 1 title in November. However, the next week, the German shocked the motor sport world by announcing his retirement.
With Rosberg's retirement, Ecclestone reckons that there is no more competition for Hamilton.
"I think nobody would want to buy tickets and go to watch a race or watch on television Lewis disappearing from us when the lights go off and probably lapping the field a couple of times," Ecclestone was quoted as saying by Sport24.
"It would be bad for everybody and bad for Lewis as well, because I think he wants to win fair and wants to beat somebody. I don't think anybody is going to beat Lewis."
The Formula 1 boss, though, admitted that Red Bull's Max Verstappen would probably be the Briton's closest challenger the next year.
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"Verstappen has been super. When I say nobody, maybe Max in that car could hurry Lewis along a little bit. If he gets in the right car he will. Even where he is now there's possibilities," he said.
"The problem is a simple one: the Mercedes team, engine, everything, is perfect and they've got the best driver in the world."
"I hope I'm completely wrong in my assessment of the championship with Lewis. I hope I am wrong and whoever goes and sits in the same team can beat him or hurry him up that he makes mistakes.But my personal opinion is that it's not going to happen," he added.