Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has once again criticised the most successful driver in the history of the sport, Lewis Hamilton, predicting that his move to Ferrari will end in failure.
Hamilton began testing for Ferrari last month after moving from Mercedes, but Ecclestone doubts he will see out his second season with the Italian team.
“He won’t last that long,” Ecclestone told The Telegraph. “Piero Ferrari, who brought him in, still thinks they made the right decision. I hope they did. I hope they didn’t just jump in and end up regretting it.”
Ecclestone claims that Hamilton will take a back seat to Charles Leclerc, his new teammate, who has been driving for Ferrari since 2019.
“I don’t think Lewis will get the same attention at Ferrari,” he believes. “First of all, the team is happy with Charles Leclerc. He speaks their language, so they will look after him. Even if Lewis is good, he will have a lot of enemies, because he has arrived suddenly.”
Hamilton turned 40 during the winter break and has been competing continuously in Formula 1 since his debut in 2007. Ecclestone believes this will affect his motivation.
“I have my own theory about it. It’s not about the age of the drivers, it’s about how long they’ve been doing the same thing. I thought about Lewis: he’s tired. He’s lost motivation. If he had never won a title, maybe it would be different, because he would have the incentive to win one. But he’s already got seven.”
Ecclestone, who was ousted from Formula 1 eight years ago, has been at odds with Hamilton in recent times. His 2020 statement that “black people are more racist than white people” drew a sharp response from Hamilton, who called it “ignorant.”
Ecclestone also defended former driver Nelson Piquet after the latter used a racist term while speaking about Hamilton. He also encouraged Felipe Massa to take legal action to have the results of that championship, which Hamilton won, overturned by his comments about the 2008 season.
Hamilton’s style of dress and interest in music also drew criticism from Ecclestone in this interview.
“Lewis stands out in a way that people might not like,” Bernie believes. “How can someone who has won multiple titles and has millions in the bank dress like that… I’m not a fan of that.”
“He has a lot of talent as a driver. As much as he is given credit for? No, but enough to win races. I don’t know why he’s doing all this other nonsense. He should stay out of the music business and all that.”
