Former supremo believes won’t win one other world championship forward of the Mercedes star’s subsequent 12 months.
Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton will go away the Silver Arrows – the place he has gained six of his titles – on the finish of the season forward of his highly-anticipated transfer to the Scuderia in 2025.
But amid a downturn in type in latest weeks, with Hamilton languishing seventh within the , questions have been raised in regards to the 39-year-old’s degree forward of the ultimate chapter of his profession.
Ecclestone, who was accountable for F1 from 1987-2017, believes will proceed to again over Hamilton and worries the British driver’s finest years are behind him.
“I consider he gained’t,” Ecclestone stated, when requested whether or not Hamilton will win a record-breaking eighth title, in an interview with the .
“I don’t assume it is going to be simple for Lewis, particularly in that staff. They [Ferrari] will again Charles Leclerc, he’s fast and has grown up there. They gained’t dump him for anybody.
“Nonetheless, from Lewis’ viewpoint, it could not have been a mistake to affix Ferrari. He couldn’t exist any longer at Mercedes. Both he’s given up with them or they’ve given up on him.
“They wouldn’t do a lot to maintain him, so he’s higher off going.”
Ecclestone additionally hinted that Ferrari government chairman John Elkann needed to signal Hamilton as a “massive ego factor.”
“It’s a massive deal he has bought, although I believe the bonus clauses written into his contract are there to make him really feel good quite than actuality,” Ecclestone added.
‘For John Elkann, the man who runs it, it was a giant ego factor. He thought he had captured the perfect man the world had ever seen.
“When he signed him there was nothing to point he was improper in that evaluation. Whether or not he’s nonetheless proud of that’s one other story. Solely time will inform. If Lewis is fading, which I don’t wish to see, he ought to go away and do one thing else and do a very good job at it.”
Hamilton insisted after Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix – when he completed tenth in moist situations – that his automotive was the Mercedes had ever given him.
Hamilton will with Mercedes within the subsequent month, beginning with the Las Vegas Grand Prix on 24 November.
