Bernie Ecclestone has expressed doubt that Lewis Hamilton will secure a record eighth world title, as he approaches his Ferrari switch in 2025.
At 39, Hamilton's decision to leave Mercedes caught team boss Toto Wolff by surprise, though Wolff admits it actually "helps" the team.
"Because it avoids the moment where we need to tell the sport's most iconic driver that we want to stop," Wolff stated in Inside Mercedes F1 - Life In The Fast Lane.
"We're in a sport where cognitive sharpness is extremely important. I like the situation," said Wolff, who is set to replace Hamilton with 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli. "(Football) managers like Sir Alex Ferguson or Pep Guardiola, they anticipated it in the performance of their top stars and brought in junior players that drove the team for the next years."
Hamilton has notably struggled to compete with teammate George Russell since the ground-effect era began in 2022. Following his recent performance in Brazil, he even hinted he'd rather take a "holiday" than continue the season.
Ecclestone is skeptical about Hamilton's prospects at Ferrari, especially when it comes to surpassing the joint record of seven world titles with Michael Schumacher.
"I believe he won't," Ecclestone told the Daily Mail. "I don't think it will be easy for Lewis. Especially in that team. They will back Charles Leclerc. He's quick and has grown up there. They won't dump him for anyone."
However, Ecclestone acknowledges that the move to Ferrari could still make sense financially for Hamilton.
"He couldn't exist any longer at Mercedes," he said. "Either he's given up with them or they have given up on him. They wouldn't do much to keep him, so he is better off going."
Some speculate that Hamilton may be so discouraged that he might abandon the Ferrari deal altogether, but Ecclestone thinks that's unlikely.
"He would have to walk away from a lot financially," said Ecclestone. "It's 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."
Ecclestone added, "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. 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."
