Exclusive: Kimi Antonelli handed Max Verstappen verdict by Bernie Ecclestone: 'You'll see'

Bernie Ecclestone believes Kimi Antonelli will "turn into another Max Verstappen" within two to three years after the Mercedes driver became Formula 1's youngest world champion at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Antonelli sealed the title at 20 years and 68 days old, beating Sebastian Vettel's long-standing record by a remarkable three years, whilst he also became Italy's first title winner in 73 years.

Ecclestone, who ran F1 for 40 years before stepping down as chief executive in 2017, has seen more than one generation of champions up close. The 95-year-old now sees the same ingredients in Antonelli that carried Verstappen to four world titles.

"There are two people I once hoped would win the championship, one is Max, one is him," said Ecclestone, speaking exclusively to RacingNews365.

"Although I don't know him as well as I know Max, I think he will turn into another Max.

"He's got all that Max has got; he wants to win, and he will win no matter what. He's the same as Max in that he gets into the car with only one thought in his mind: winning the race."

The parenting difference between Antonelli and Verstappen

Ecclestone drew a contrast between how Verstappen and Antonelli were raised by their fathers. Jos Verstappen is known to have put his son through gruelling conditioning as a child, including running karting laps on slick tyres in freezing or wet conditions to sharpen his car control.

Marco Antonelli has taken a different route, leaning on his own team AKM Motorsport and his links with Kart Republic in his son's junior years while leaving the heavy lifting of career management to Mercedes' junior programme.

"Max, in his day [as a kid], his dad was a bit strict with him, but he made him wake up and get going," said Ecclestone.

"Whereas Kimi's dad seems to be the opposite, sympathises with him, and tries to keep him a little bit calm.

"But we haven't seen the best of him yet by a long way. I think we'll be surprised at how good he's going to be.

"You will see, he's going to turn into another Max in two to three years.

"He needs to have a few rough times to polish him up a little bit, and then watch out."

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Ecclestone - 'Life isn't that simple'

Asked how that polishing process might happen, Ecclestone pointed back to the Verstappen blueprint.

"The best thing to do is an awful lot of what Max's dad did to him, and make him understand that life isn't that simple," he said.

"You've got to accept the bad, as well as the good, and make sure the bad doesn't happen again."

Ecclestone also suggested Antonelli's age means his growth as both driver and champion is still only beginning.

"He's only just finished being a teenager, so it's going to take a little longer for him to grow into what he has just become, a world champion," he said.

"And for someone so young, he could easily eclipse all records, sure, sure, sure."