Amid continued rumors – likely greatly exaggerated – of Lewis Hamilton's impending retirement, former supremo Bernie Ecclestone thinks the seven-time world champion may not be racing in 2022.
Rumors have been swirling since Formula 1's dramatic finale in Abu Dhabi about Hamilton's future, with the Mercedes driver reportedly so disappointed by the events that marked the final minutes of the race at Yas Marina that he is considering walking away from the sport.
There is no tangible evidence supporting such a decision on the part of the Briton whose snub of the FIA prize-giving gala in Paris last week and lingering silence have sparked the silly gossip.
Yet Ecclestone, in an interview with Blick's Roger Benoit, believes the silly chatter will turn out to be true.
Asked if he had spoken to Hamilton since his defeat in Abu Dhabi: Ecclestone said: "No, but a few days ago [I spoke] with his father.
"I immediately sensed that he wouldn’t answer a question about his son’s future. So we only talked business!
"I don't know, but I don't think he's coming back," added Mr. E. "His disappointment is too big. And you can somehow understand it.
"With seven world championship titles like Michael Schumacher, now would be the time to tackle his dream of becoming a fashion entrepreneur."
Asked if Mercedes would suffer without Hamilton on the grid, Ecclestone said: "True, but Lewis can only lose in 2022.
"Who knows how the new cars will mix up the field. With George Russell, he’d get an ambitious teammate, of whom, by the way, I’m not as convinced as many experts.
"And let’s not forget Verstappen. With him, Hamilton has finally found an equal opponent after many years.
The 91-year-old also chimed in on the controversial ending to the race in Abu Dhabi and on FIA race director Michael Masi's handling of operations.
"There were certainly a lot of things that went wrong in the final laps," commented the 91-year-old former racer.
"Race director Masi could have saved himself some trouble if he had stopped the race immediately with the red flag after the Latifi crash. Then it would have been a super final between Max and Lewis for the last three laps.
"Things really went wrong there. We can’t change it anymore."
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