Former F1 supremo makes sensational Hamilton claim in Ferrari 'regret' warning

Ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone believes Lewis Hamilton will not last the duration of his two-year contract with Ferrari.

The 94-year-old, who owned the championship for 30 years from 1987 to 2017, has said he hopes the Italian team does not end up regretting the decision to sign the seven-time F1 drivers' champion.

It is a little over 12 months since the seismic news of Hamilton joining the Scuderia broke. It changed the complexion of Formula 1's immediate future and sent shockwaves rippling through the paddock.

Although, in the aftermath of the move and the British driver's subsequent final season with Mercedes, a host of high-profile names have jumped at the opportunity tear down the partnership which has been widely-touted as the series' most iconic driver joining forces with its most iconic team.

Ecclestone is now the latest person to go on record to predict a less-than-fruitful relationship between the two parties.

"He won’t last that long," the business magnate told British Newspaper The Telegraph when discussing Hamilton's deal with the Maranello-based squad, which ends in 2026.

"Piero Ferrari, who has taken him there, still thinks they’ve done the right thing. I hope they have. I hope they haven’t just jumped in and end up wishing they hadn’t."

Why Ecclestone thinks Leclerc will have the upper hand at Ferrari

Ecclestone does, however, have justifications for his assertion. The former Brabham team owner does not feel Hamilton will be able to assimilate into his new team to the degree in which incumbent team-mate Charles Leclerc has.

"I don’t think Lewis will get the same attention at Ferrari," he said. "Firstly, the team are happy with Charles Leclerc, his team-mate.

"Leclerc speaks their language [he is 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."

Whilst Ecclestone does not view Hamilton's age to be a factor in why he thinks the move will not prove a success, he does contend that the 40-year-old may lack the motivation he once had, or would have retained had he not won titles. in F1.

"I have my theory about this," he added. "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."

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