Ecclestone Calls Time on Hamilton’s F1 Career
If you thought Formula 1 legends get to call their own shots, Bernie Ecclestone isn’t having it. The outspoken former boss of the sport has openly urged Lewis Hamilton to hang up his helmet for good. Not next year, not at the end of the season—right now. According to Ecclestone, Hamilton looks ‘tired,’ and by keeping on racing into his forties, the British driver is ‘cheating himself’ out of a proper farewell.
These remarks come at a rough time for Hamilton. He made that bold switch from Mercedes to Ferrari for the 2025 season, hoping the famous red overalls would revive his title chances. Instead, his debut races with Ferrari have been disappointing. While the tifosi expected miracles, Hamilton has struggled to match the outright pace of his younger teammate, Charles Leclerc, leading to constant questions about whether the greatest driver of his generation should’ve bowed out when he was still on top.
Ecclestone isn’t known for sugarcoating things. He told reporters that every extra season is just risking his legacy. "He’d be better announcing his retirement now… he should have stepped aside earlier," Ecclestone insists, echoing what some fans and pundits have started to murmur as well. To them, every race where Hamilton fights the car more than his rivals is a missed chance for a legendary swan song.
Leclerc Penalized, Hamilton in Limbo, Ferrari on the Ropes
Ferrari’s season hasn’t just been about Hamilton’s struggles. Charles Leclerc, their star driver, got hit with a fresh penalty after the Hungarian Grand Prix. The FIA slapped him with a single penalty point on his superlicence after the race. The reason? Leclerc was handed a five-second time penalty for moving under braking while defending his position from George Russell, a move the stewards called ‘erratic driving.’
It stung extra because Leclerc had started the race on pole and looked set to dominate—until tire struggles and that messy battle with Russell dropped him down the order. By the finish, he was fourth, losing more than just a podium; every point now matters as Ferrari scrambles to stay relevant in a season dominated by Red Bull’s consistency and Mercedes’ late charge.
All this drama puts Ferrari under the microscope. They’re a team desperate for a title but clearly under strain. Hamilton, for one, hasn’t helped by dropping hints about possibly taking time away. After Hungary—where he finished outside the points for the first time since a 2010 retirement—Hamilton told reporters he’d ‘hopefully’ be back for the Dutch GP. This wasn’t the first time he’s teased a mid-season break; similar talk followed a tough race in Brazil previously.
The mood inside Maranello is tense. With Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes all within striking distance for race wins, every mistake and penalty magnifies the pressure. Fans are left wondering if Hamilton’s story with Ferrari will be more than a brief, bumpy ride. And if Leclerc racks up more penalties, Ferrari’s shot at a title could fade fast. For a team used to winning, second-best is never good enough—and right now, that might even be out of reach.