Bernie Ecclestone has called on Lewis Hamilton to walk away from Formula One before it’s too late—before, as he put it, “something bad happens.”
Ecclestone, the 93-year-old former F1 supremo, ran the sport for over four decades and played a key role in transforming it into the global powerhouse it is today.
Though no longer in charge, he remains an influential voice—and one with a long-standing relationship with Hamilton.
Speaking about the 40-year-old Ferrari driver’s recent struggles, Ecclestone said:
“Lewis is very talented, was and probably still is, but like a lot of leading sports personalities when they reach the top, there is only one way to go.”
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Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, left Mercedes for Ferrari this year—a switch that has been a nightmare so far.
He’s failed to reach the podium in any of the 14 races this season, including a dismal 12th-place finish in Hungary.
He has also been outqualified by Charles Leclerc 10 times and beaten him in just two races.
Why did Ecclestone say this?
To Ecclestone, the writing is on the wall.
“Lewis is tired. He needs a rest from it for good—a total reset to do something completely different. If I were looking after him, I would negotiate with Ferrari immediately and say, ‘If you have someone to replace Lewis, he’ll step aside.’”
But Hamilton hasn’t said he wants to step aside, at least not formally.
And for all of Ecclestone’s concern, it’s Hamilton—only Hamilton—who will decide when it’s time to leave.
“I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to Lewis… He’s won seven world titles and that is quite enough.”
Still, for a competitor of Hamilton’s calibre, the idea of leaving mid-season, without a fight, likely feels unbearable.
Ecclestone may have a point—this Formula 1, and an ACL tear isn’t the worst that could happen. Or as he put it:
'It wouldn't be worth him spending two years laid up in bed with a broken back or anything else nasty.'
Whatever Hamilton's answer, history shows one thing clearly: only the driver can choose when to stop the car.
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