Lewis Hamilton will have « a lot of enemies » at Ferrari after joining the team from Mercedes for the 2025 Formula One season, according to former supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
The 40-year-old has made the bold move for a fresh start with the Prancing Horse after 12 years with the Brackley outfit, where he won six of his seven Drivers’ Championship titles.
It may not prove to be such a smooth transition for Hamilton though, as the Briton has only recently started learning Italian which is widely spoken throughout.
And after enjoying iconic status at Mercedes, Ecclestone has suggested that the veteran racer could struggle to win over some of his new colleagues within the Italian team.
“I don’t think Lewis will get the same attention at Ferrari,” Ecclestone told The Telegraph. “Firstly, the team are happy with Charles Leclerc, his team-mate. Leclerc speaks their language [he’s fluent in Italian], so they’ll be looking after him.
« Even if Lewis does well, there’ll still be a lot of enemies, because he has suddenly arrived.”
Asked if his 13-year age gap to Leclerc could have an impact, Ecclestone added: “I have my theory about this. It’s not the age with drivers, it’s how long they have been doing the same thing.
« I have thought with Lewis, ‘He’s getting tired. He has lost motivation’. If he had never won a world championship, it might be different, because then there would be an incentive to win one. But he has won seven.”
With his highly-anticipated unveiling at their Maranello base, Hamilton made a typically strong fashion statement by donning a black overcoat and suave black suit as he stood in front of the Ferrari HQ.
His attire drew acclaim from all quarters of the F1 sphere, as well as fashion outlets across the world.
But ex-F1 boss Ecclestone, now 94, was far from impressed with his choice of outfit.
“Lewis gets himself up front in a way where you can dislike him,” Ecclestone said. “How a guy who has won a few world titles and has a few dollars in the bank can dress the way he dresses… I’m not a fan of that. »
Hamilton’s form has dipped on the racetrack in recent seasons, although many would attribute his slight decline to Mercedes‘ drop in performance.
He ended a 945-day wait for his 104th race win at Silverstone after the team struggled to adapt to the new regulations brought in back in 2022.
The Stevenage-born star is now aiming to win his eighth title, which would take him past Michael Schumacher, but Ecclestone doesn’t think he is quite as talented as some make out.
« He has a lot of talent as a driver. As much as people credit him with? No, but still enough to win races, » he added. « I don’t know why he does all this other nonsense. He needs to get out of the music business and whatever else.”
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