"Lewis Hamilton isn’t the problem. It’s Ferrari": Fans react to Bernie Ecclestone claiming the Italian team shouldn't have hired the 7x F1 champion

Fans reacted as the former F1 CEO, Bernie Ecclestone, questioned Ferrari's choice of signing Lewis Hamilton to the team. He commented that the team needed a more commanding personality; meanwhile, Hamilton can sometimes be "political."

Hamilton hasn't been performing competitively with Ferrari, as he continues his struggle with the incompetent SF-25. His highest race finish this season has been a P4, paired with the Sprint victory in China. However, the latter was the only highlight he has achieved with the team up until now.

With less than half of the season remaining, former F1 CEO Ecclestone claimed that Ferrari should have signed someone who could take command of the team and ask them to make changes. Moreover, he felt that it was "typical" for Hamilton to be too "political," which has contributed to his lack of improvement on the track this year.

"I think the team needs someone to take charge, find the right direction and get the job done," he said.

"I am not sure that taking Lewis was the right decision. Lewis is obviously talented, but a little bit political, which is typical for Ferrari and typical for him. But he could come to life again which would be good for him and good for Ferrari."

Fans, however, were not too amused by reading Bernie Ecclestone's comments on social media. Many defended Hamilton, mentioning that it was more of a team issue rather than a driver issue.

skutterdan

@skutterdan

@Planet_F1 Lewis isn’t the problem. It’s Ferrari. I think even Charles is fed up with them now.

Another fan said, "How dare the most successful driver in F1 history use his platform to stand up for what he believes in. Seriously, Bernie — it’s time to accept you’re no longer relevant to our sport."

"Bernie is biased he clearly does not like Lewis and has nothing nice to say and why do the media give Bernie airtime he’s not a nice man," another said.

At the same time, however, many also claimed that Lewis Hamilton had lost his driving skills more recently, with some mentioning that he needs to focus on that first.

"Needs to focus on his driving because this season's he's been absolutely destroyed by Charles," one fan said.

"He’s a woke advocate. He should be focusing more on driving," another commented.

"Bernie knows Lewis is a PR merchant who over compensates for his washed driving skills," a user commented on Lewis Hamilton.

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Lewis Hamilton claims Ferrari can win the World Championship

Despite the subpar season he has had with the team so far, Lewis Hamilton felt positive about Ferrari. Speaking to the media in Hungary, he claimed that the team has all the "ingredients" to win the World Championship, perhaps in the future.

Hamilton stated that they needed to work together to align the elements for smoother functioning, and then the team would be in championship contention.

"The team has every ingredient that they need to win World Championships," Lewis Hamilton said, F1's official website. "It’s literally just about getting things all aligned and running smoothly and freely, stress-free, which we’re all trying to do."

Ferrari was a strong contender for the Constructors' Championship last year; however, they failed to clinch the title. Coming into the 2025 season, some major changes were made to the car's concept, which saw a major decline in its performance.