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Former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has told Lewis Hamilton to consider tearing up his Ferrari contract if he does not feel up to speed with future team-mate Charles Leclerc after a challenging 2024 season.
Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps provided rare moments of triumph amid the trials for Hamilton, but it has been another season marred with difficulties for him and his Mercedes team. In particular, he has struggled to produce his best form in qualifying and has been comprehensively beaten by team-mate George Russell on that front.
Hamilton holds the all-time F1 record for pole positions but has been beaten over one lap by Russell 20 times over the Grand Prix and Sprint qualifying rounds this year. And it has raised questions about his competitive edge as he looks towards teaming up with Leclerc at Ferrari, widely regarded as one of the best qualifiers on the grid.
Ecclestone, speaking to the Daily Mail, did not sugarcoat his perspective: “I do not think it will be easy for Lewis. Especially in that team,” he said. “They will back Charles Leclerc. He is quick and has grown up there. They will not dump him for anyone.”
“However, from Lewis’ point of view, it may not have been a mistake to join Ferrari. He could not exist any longer at Mercedes. Either he has given up with them or they have given up on him. They would not do much to keep him, so he is better off going.”
Asked if Hamilton could walk away from his Ferrari contract altogether, Ecclestone continued: “He would have to walk away from a lot financially. It is a big deal he has got, though I suspect the bonus clauses written into his contract are there to make him feel good rather than reality.”, reports the Express.
“For John Elkann, the guy who runs it, it was a big ego thing. He thought he had captured the best guy the world had ever seen. When he signed him there was nothing to indicate he was wrong in that assessment. Whether he is still happy with that is another story – only time will tell.
“If Lewis is fading, which I do not like to see, he should go away and do something else and do a good job at it. He is now one of the older generation – and did he not say he wanted to hear less from them?”
Unfortunately, Hamilton has little chance of ending his Mercedes career on a high following a dismal weekend at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The Brit could only manage a P10 finish in Interlagos and labelled the car the worst it has been all season.
Russell fared better and was in contention for the win until what proved to be a strategy error when Mercedes forced him to pit shortly before the race was red flagged. Max Verstappen stayed out on track and converted it into an extraordinary victory from 17th on the grid to all-but ensure he will end the season as a four-time F1 champion.
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