Ferrari should replace Lewis Hamilton with a rookie
Words NZ Autocar | Images F1
So says Bernie Ecclestone after even Lewis Hamilton admitted he should be replaced following the Hungarian GP.
Hamilton was eliminated from Q2 over the weekend, in a lowly P12 which is where he finished. By contrast, Charles Leclerc, Hamilton’s teammate, managed to put his car on pole. Immediately reacting to his qualifying position, Hamilton stated that he was “useless” and told his Ferrari team that they should get another driver. It was sad to hear from someone with so much self-belief throughout his career.
Ferrari put Hamilton on a one-stop strategy in Hungary, starting him on the hard tyres. The seven-time champion found himself stuck in his first stint. He did engage in a battle with Max Verstappen but eventually drove off the circuit to avoid contact with the Red Bull driver.
Questions have been asked about the relationship Hamilton has with race engineer, Riccardo Adami. But Hamilton left Adami in no doubt, apologising for a dismal display over the weekend. It was Hamilton’s worst result since the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Ecclestone suggested Hamilton needed a “total reset” from F1 and should consider retiring.
“They get tired” he said. “Lewis has been doing this forever.” He needs a rest from it for good, said Ecclestone, who suggested the Brit will soon get used to doing other stuff away from motor racing in retirement. “I think he should have done it a while ago” he added.
Ecclestone, who led F1 between 1987 and 2017, suggested his place should be taken by Isack Hadjar or Gabriel Bortoleto.
“Both are talented and sensible” he added.
The pair were runner-up and champion in 2024’s Formula 2 season.
Hadjar, Lawson’s teammate, sits P13 in the Drivers’ Championship, while Bortoleto, driving for Kick Sauber, picked up his first points of the season with a P8 in Austria, before adding to that total with a P9 at Spa-Francorchamps and a handy P6 at the Hungarian GP.
Being picked by Ecclestone as options for one of the most prestigious teams on the grid demonstrates their obvious talent.
