MELBOURNE STOP GEAR

Legend Sir Jackie urges rivals to end dominance of Mercedes

SIR JACKIE STEWART wants to see Lewis Hamilton challenged by Red Bull and Ferrari this season – for the good of Formula 1.

The three-time former champion expects his fellow Brit to claim another drivers’ title this season, moving him level with Argentina’s

Juan Manuel Fangio.

But Stewart (right) says another season of Mercedes domination would do the sport no favours.

Stewart, 78, said: “The public want to see change, not another time like the Michael Schumacher days or more recently when Sebastian Vettel was winning four titles.

“It does affect the attendances at circuits, the television interest when a series has got overly dominating performances by one team.

“I hope this year will provide more competition and it would be better if another team other than Mercedes won the championship.

“Mercedes’ dominance in the last three years has given the team an absolute advantage. And Lewis has driven extremely well, but in a car that’s been considerably better than the opposition.

“They have a great package and with Lewis they have a driver who is so experienced at winning. It’s going to be difficult for Ferrari and Red Bull to take them on. But let’s hope it will be more competitive.”

The German marque has won the last four drivers and constructors crowns and pre-season testing indicates little will change. And Hamilton looks set for a fourth drivers’ title with Mercedes with the only time he was beaten coming at the hands of then team-mate Nico Rosberg in 2016. Hamilton regained the title last year and is on course to equal the five set by Fangio in the 1950s, leaving him two shy of Schumacher’s record.

But Stewart, whose record as most successful Brit was taken by Hamilton, said: “If he wins the championship and equals Fangio then that’s great for him.

“It is a different era. The great thing about Fangio is he jumped from Ferrari to Maserati to Mercedes to Lancia and won in different cars. He is still for me the greatest driver of all time, though Jim Clark was by far the greatest driver I ever raced with or against.

“But Lewis is the best of the current drivers. The more you win the easier it becomes as you find the key to the door and can do it comfortably.

“Vettel has shown he can be too emotional. Fernando Alonso has not been in a competitive team with Mclaren. “But you’ve also got Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, who are both talented drivers.”