"I don’t think he will get the same attention": $2.4B-worth Former F1 boss doubts Lewis Hamilton's future at Ferrari

Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone claimed that Lewis Hamilton would not get the "same attention" at Ferrari that he craved during his Mercedes days. The British driver shocked the world of motorsport when he announced his move to the Italian last year and ended his ties with the Brackley-based outfit at the end of the 2024 season.

The combination of two of the most iconic names in the sport has got many fans excited but the former F1 boss is not one of them. The 94-year-old has not been the biggest fan of the seven-time F1 world champion and has often criticized his actions on and off the track.

Speaking with The Telegraph, Bernie Ecclestone, who has a net worth of $2.4B as per Forbes, gave his honest opinion on Lewis Hamilton's switch to Ferrari and mentioned that Charles Leclerc would have a better time than his teammate given that he speaks Italian unlike the former. He said:

“I don’t think Lewis will get the same attention at Ferrari. 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."

He also gave his take on the Brit turning 40 in January ahead of his move to the Maranello-based outfit and 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.”

Lewis Hamilton's look in front of Enzo Ferrari's house garnered the attention of the watching world given it was their first glimpse of the former as a Ferrari driver.

Former F1 boss criticizes Lewis Hamilton's personality despite the fanfare

Lewis Hamilton tests for Ferrari - Source: Getty

Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone stated that he was not a fan of Lewis Hamilton's off-track ventures and the media frenzy it attracted away from on-track racing.

As quoted by the aforementioned source, the 94-year-old spoke about his dislike of Hamilton and said:

“Lewis gets himself up front in a way where you can dislike him. 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. He has a lot of talent as a driver. As much as people credit him with? No, but still enough to win races. I don’t know why he does all this other nonsense."

Lewis Hamilton has signed a multi-year contract with Ferrari which will see him race for them until the end of the 2026 season with an option to extend for a further year.