Lewis Hamilton has been tipped to make an early exit from Ferrari, in a scathing assessment delivered by former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.
The seven-time world champion completed his Ferrari switch at the beginning of 2025, where he enjoyed his initial tour around Maranello and completed a series of tests for the team.
Hamilton joined his team-mate Charles Leclerc in Barcelona, where the 40-year-old gained vital testing experience in the SF-23 and 24, ahead of the team’s launch of their 2025 challenger.
The champion’s series of social media releases in red depicted a revived and motivated Hamilton, who will be hoping to chase down a record-breaking eighth world title in 2025.
Can Lewis Hamilton win an eighth world title with Ferrari?Lewis Hamilton is yet to race in a Ferrari
Ferrari have finally dropped the official 2025 merch, click here to shop Hamilton's debut kit in red.
Ecclestone makes shocking Hamilton prediction
However, Ecclestone has failed to be captivated by Hamilton's Ferrari arrival, and claimed that the champion will not last long with the team.
"I don’t think Lewis will get the same attention at Ferrari," Ecclestone said to The Telegraph.
"Firstly, the team are happy with Charles Leclerc, his team-mate. Leclerc speaks their language, 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."
When asked if age could be a factor in Hamilton’s performance, Ecclestone concluded that his issue may be more motivation based.
Bernie Ecclestone has delivered a brutal assessment of Lewis Hamilton's time at Ferrari
"I have my theory about this. It’s not the age with drivers, it’s how long they have been doing the same thing," he added.
"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.
"He won’t last that long," he added, hinting at an early Hamilton exit from the team. "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."