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Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton is not performing the way people are used to seeing him. The Mercedes driver is sixth in the drivers' standings and without a win this season, is trailing his teammate George Russell. This has also raised questions about the Brit’s intent. Former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has also questioned Hamilton’s tactics this season and has reckoned the Mercedes driver is not bothered about losing.
Ecclestone also talked about Mercedes’ Team Principal Toto Wolff’s thought process and claimed that he might have thought of getting someone to replace Hamilton. Notably, Hamilton has another year beyond this one remaining on his £40million annual contract.
“Lewis might sell his position to Toto [Wolff, Mercedes' team principal]. ‘This is how much I am getting, I'll step down and give me half of what I would get’. Toto can go and do one of his magic deals, offer someone less money and keep £20m. Nobody needs to tell Toto this because he has already thought of it. Lewis would probably stop under those circumstances,” said Ecclestone in a recent interaction with the Daily Mail.
“Toto is getting a bit fed up with Lewis. I don't think he's trying, do you? Let's put it another way, Lewis doesn't seem bothered about losing. It's not like him. He has a competitive nature but he's taking losing a bit easy for my liking. I don't think he is actively helping George. I don't think he's doing anything. I don't think he cares too much. He's not prepared to put the effort into winning that he did,” he added.
All B*****: Ecclestone on Hamilton’s Baku exit
The 91-year-old also spoke about Hamilton’s struggles in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Bernie Ecclestone seemed really disappointed with the way Hamilton fared and called it b*****. “All b*******,” Ecclestone said. “George is taller and if it was going to happen to anyone it would have happened to him."
“There was a bit of Nigel Mansell about it,” he went on. “At least with Nigel, he would get out of the car and rub his left leg as if he had broken it. Next moment, it would be his right leg,” the man who ran F1 for over 40 years joked.