Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari should ignore Bernie Ecclestone’s advice, as per Express Sport readers. The former F1 boss, aged 94, suggested the seven-time world champion retire from racing, proposing that Isack Hadjar or Gabriel Bortoleto could take his place.
Since Hamilton’s switch from Mercedes to Ferrari, he’s been lagging behind, entering the summer hiatus 42 points short of teammate Charles Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship.
Still on the hunt for his inaugural podium finish in Ferrari’s iconic red, Hamilton faced tough races in Belgium and Hungary, which left his confidence severely dented. This led Ecclestone to offer some counsel to the highly accomplished racer.
“Lewis is very talented, was and probably still is,” he remarked to the Daily Mail. “But like a lot of leading sports personalities, when they reach the top, there is only one way to go, and it’s not a good direction. It’s only down.
“They get tired. Lewis is tired. He’s been doing what he is doing forever. He needs a rest from it for good, a total reset to do something completely different.
He may not think it but he will soon get used to doing other stuff away from motor racing in retirement. I think he should have done it a while ago.”
“The guy is not a cheat. But he would be cheating himself if he goes on. He should stop now. 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.'”.
Asked about a potential successor for Hamilton, Ecclestone said: “If I could steal him, I’d take Isack Hadjar from Racing Bulls. He has done super well in his first year and is a great guy. I also rate our friend from Brazil (Gabriel Bortoleto). He is talented. Both of them are sensible, too.”
However, Express Sport readers seem to think Ecclestone’s advice might not be golden. In a poll of 2,900 voters, 52 percent believe Hamilton should disregard the 94-year-old’s remarks and press on with his F1 career, while 48 percent feel it may be time to ponder retirement.
DON’T MISS:
Readers also weren’t sold on Ecclestone’s picks for Hamilton’s replacement. Only 8 percent of readers were in favor of Bortoleto taking over, and 19 percent supported Hadjar, but Haas rookie Oliver Bearman was the top choice, securing 26 percent of the vote, just edging out Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.
Bearman, who hails from the Ferrari driver academy and still maintains connections with Scuderia despite racing for Haas in F1, is seen as a long-term heir to Hamilton’s throne. The 20 year old Brit could follow a trajectory similar to George Russell, who spent three years at Williams before joining the Mercedes squad.