Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone questions Hamilton’s commitment, predicting challenges with Ferrari and hinting at motivation issues.
Bernie Ecclestone, known for his numerous past remarks on Lewis Hamilton, has once again cast doubt on the latest career move of Ferrari’s new driver. According to the former F1 boss, the honeymoon between Hamilton and the Scuderia won’t last.
“He won’t last long,” Ecclestone told The Telegraph. “Piero Ferrari, who brought him there, still believes they made the right choice. I hope that’s the case. I hope they haven’t simply taken the leap only to end up regretting not having done so earlier.”
“I don’t think Lewis will get the same attention at Ferrari. First of all, the team is happy with Charles Leclerc, his teammate. Leclerc speaks their language, so they’ll focus on him. Even if Lewis performs well, he will still face many enemies because he arrived so suddenly.”
Ecclestone believes Hamilton will lack the motivation to commit long-term to the project: “I have my theory on this. It’s not the driver’s age that matters, it’s the time they’ve spent doing the same thing.”
“I thought about Lewis and said to myself, ‘He’s tired, he’s no longer motivated.’ He’s lost his drive. If he had never won a world championship, it might be different, as there would be a motivation to win one. But he’s won seven.”
Ecclestone and Hamilton have had tense exchanges before, notably after the former F1 CEO defended Nelson Piquet, who made racist comments about the seven-time world champion. Ecclestone had also criticized Hamilton on matters beyond his career and driving.
“Lewis puts himself forward in a way that can make people dislike him. How can a guy who’s won several world titles and has a few dollars in the bank dress the way he does… I’m not a fan of that.”
“He has a lot of talent as a driver. As much as people give him credit for? No, but enough to win races. I don’t understand why he gets involved in all those other distractions. He needs to step away from the music world and everything that comes with it.”
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Ecclestone: Hamilton ‘won’t last long’ at Ferrari Ecclestone: Hamilton ‘won’t last long’ at Ferrari