Former F1 boss warns Lewis Hamilton to CANCEL Ferrari contract

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Social, Photoshop — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Former F1 boss warns Hamilton to CANCEL Ferrari contract

Lewis Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in 2025

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 9 November 2024 11:57 Updated: 11:22

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A former Formula 1 boss has suggested that Lewis Hamilton should quit Formula 1 now, and rip up his Ferrari contract.

The seven-time world champion is set to make the switch to Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, a move that was announced before the start of this current season.

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It has meant that Hamilton has raced 21 races with Mercedes while knowing he is set to leave the Brackley-based outfit in the winter, with the 39-year-old often adopting a downbeat attitude throughout 2024.

Mercedes' inconsistent car performance has left Hamilton frustrated, as has his own inability to beat team-mate George Russell during qualifying sessions this year.

Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025

George Russell has consistently outperformed Lewis Hamilton in qualifying

Hamilton's pre-Ferrari woes

Hamilton currently trails Russell in the drivers' championship following a run of torrid results, including a Brazilian GP in which he finished 11th in the sprint race and 10th in the main race, having qualified 12th and 16th respectively.

After that weekend, Hamilton said that he needed a 'holiday', perhaps suggesting a longer break before his Ferrari move could be on the table, as well as providing a cryptic message on his Mercedes future.

Now, former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone has suggested that Hamilton should walk away from the sport, and throw himself into something else instead.

Hamilton currently sits down in seventh in the drivers' championship, despite having claimed two race victories throughout the season.

"He would have to walk away from a lot financially," Ecclestone told the Daily Mail. "It is a big deal he has got, though I suspect the bonus clauses written into his contract are there to make him feel good rather than reality.

"For John Elkann, the guy who runs it, it was a big ego thing. He thought he had captured the best guy the world had ever seen. When he signed him there was nothing to indicate he was wrong in that assessment. Whether he is still happy with that is another story. Only time will tell.

"If Lewis is fading, which I don't like to see, he should go away and do something else, and do a good job at it. He's now one of the older generation - and didn't he say he wanted to hear less from them?"

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Formula 1 George Russell