“Now would be a great opportunity for him to realize his dream as a fashion entrepreneur,” said the 91-year-old Briton in conversation with Switzerland’s Blick. Ecclestone, who has held sway in Formula 1 for decades, is fueling growing speculation with his statements that Hamilton will not serve out his two-year contract with Mercedes racing stable. He is said to be so frustrated with the way he missed his eighth world title in the closing race in Abu Dhabi that stopping is seriously on his mind. Completely against his habit, Hamilton has been silent on his social media platforms after the race in Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton was on course for his eighth world title when, five laps before the end, the safety car came on the track and the field collapsed again. When race director Michael Masi decided to remove all stragglers between Hamilton and Max Verstappen and gave the duo one more lap to race, the Dutchman took full advantage of his fresh tires and overtook Hamilton. With the win in the grand prize, Verstappen became the first Dutchman to conquer the world title.
His team boss Toto Wolff also announced shortly after the race that that defeat has hit the almost 37-year-old Briton hard. “I really hope Lewis continues to race because he is the greatest driver of all time,” said Wolff. “From his heart he will say that he must go on, for he is at the top of his game. But he will also have to overcome the pain inflicted on him on Sunday. He is a man with clear values.”
Ecclestone said he did not speak with Hamilton himself, but with his father Anthony. “I immediately felt that he would not answer the question about his son’s future. So we only talked about business, but again, I don’t think Lewis is going on.”