Lewis Hamilton has been served a warning ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton of Scuderia Ferrari looks on before the F1...

Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has warned Lewis Hamilton that he should ‘stop’ his motorsport career altogether, else he risks watching on as ‘people forget him and his achievements’. Hamilton, who is a seven-time world champion and F1’s most successful driver of all time, has endured a difficult 2025 campaign with Ferrari. After 16 race weekends this year, the legendary Brit remains without a podium finish to his name, while team-mate Charles Leclerc has five, along with a pole position in Hungary.

The 40-year-old’s most recent World Championship triumph came with Mercedes in 2020, and after pushing Max Verstappen to the final lap of the 2021 title fight, success at his usual level has been hard to come by. In the past three and a half years, Hamilton has notched just two race victories.

According to Ecclestone, now is the right time to put an end to his F1 career. “The most embarrassing thing, in my opinion, for Lewis and Ferrari is that they thought he could do all the things that were necessary,” he told Sport.de.

“You must be disappointed that what was supposed to be delivered was not delivered.” The 94-year-old went on to add: “He should stop. The danger [is] that, if he continues for another year or a year and a half and hasn’t gotten better by then, people will forget him and his achievements.”

F1 Hungarian Grand Prix 2025

Ecclestone believes that age is catching up to the seven-time world champion. “You’re getting tired, and Formula One is no longer the only thing in his life,” he explained. “I think he’s lost his focus. Twenty years is a long time, and we now have a lot of young drivers in F1.”

Despite Ecclestone’s suggestions, Hamilton remains committed to the Ferrari project and with his contract running through until the end of the 2026 campaign, there is still time for the Stevenage-born racer to turn his fortunes around.

While, for Hamilton, all eyes are on the new technical regulations in 2026, Ferrari are still mired in a tense fight with Mercedes for second place in the Constructors’ Championship standings. Heading into Sunday’s battle in Baku, the gap between the two squads stands at 20 points, with the Italian organisation leading the way.

Hamilton will also be keen to close the gap to team-mate Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship standings. The Monegasque racer is currently 46 points ahead of the Brit, who is still waiting patiently for his first top-three finish with his new squad.