The legendary head of F1, Bernie Ecclestone, recommended that Lewis Hamilton retire immediately. He also suggested two young drivers as possible successors at Ferrari.

Hamilton's future in doubt after another forgettable season

Lewis Hamilton's time at Ferrari is not living up to expectations. The seven-time world champion arrived to much media fanfare, but on the track it has been a different story: zero podium finishes in main races and far from his usual prominence. His teammate Charles Leclerc is ahead of him with 151 points, 42 more than the Briton, and other names such as Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, and Max Verstappen are consistently ahead of him.

EEcclestone doesn't hold back: “He should stop now.”

In this context, former F1 head Bernie Ecclestone did not hesitate to give his opinion on the British driver's current situation. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he was blunt:
“He would be fooling himself if he continued. He should stop now. If I were him, I would tell Ferrari that if they have someone to replace me, I'll step aside.”

Ecclestone believes that Hamilton's legacy deserves a dignified ending:
“He has seven titles, he doesn't need to take any more risks. I don't wish him any harm, but he's not fighting for the title and there's no point in risking a serious injury.”

He even hinted that the driver needs a radical change:
“He's tired. He's been doing this his whole life. He needs a complete break, a complete reset to do something different.”

Who could replace Hamilton at Ferrari?

Beyond merely offering his opinion, Ecclestone also proposed two potential replacements for Lewis' seat:

Isack Hadjar: a 20-year-old French driver who competes with Racing Bulls and made a favorable impression in his first year in F1.
“He has done very well and is a great guy.”

Gabriel Bortoleto: a Brazilian of the same age, Formula 2 champion in 2024 and current Kick Sauber driver.
“He's talented and sensible. They both are.”