The Monaco GP weekend is finally here and yet the talk of the town revolves around Lewis Hamilton and his possible Ferrari move. The Briton is currently in the final year of his contract with Mercedes. However, given how much the team is struggling since last year, speculations over a switch to Ferrari ran online. Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has given his verdict on the development and he is not a big fan of it.

Hamilton, for the first time in his F1 career, finished a season without a race win. That was last year. The Briton aimed at bouncing back stronger in 2023, but the car did not make much improvement. Frustrated with the continued failure, he lashed out at his team for not following his feedback while developing the car. Since then, links with Ferrari emerged and have refused to die down to this day.

Bernie Ecclestone takes a swipe at Lewis Hamilton for supposedly looking for a Ferrari move

The rumors picked steam recently when reports emerged over Ferrari plotting a $49 million move for Hamilton. Since then, all interviews and press conferences in the paddocks have revolved around this very development. The latest to give his views is none other than the $3 billion-worth man (as per Celebritynetworth.com), Bernie Ecclestone.

As per PA Agency, Ecclestone said, “I would be surprised that Ferrari wants to get rid of Leclerc to sign Lewis, also because they are very much in love with Leclerc. Lewis then clarified that when he decides to quit, he intends to remain tied to Mercedes and therefore he would surprise me that he would want to leave. And if I were in Hamilton and I saw Leclerc happy to leave Ferrari, I would think there is a problem there.”

“I don’t understand why Lewis should then think that he is better off in Ferrari than where he is currently in Mercedes. Ferrari is not a retirement home, on the contrary, they want to win the championship more than anyone else. So I personally think that he will stay in Mercedes or that he will retire.”

Read More: “Good Luck Alonso”: Fans Rally Fernando’s Rising Stock After an Annoying Incident in Monaco Points Toward Breaking the Hiatus

One of the biggest reasons why Hamilton is hanging on in F1 is to win the never done before 8th world championship. While Mercedes look nowhere near to making that happen for their ace driver anytime soon, Ferrari isn’t in too good a position either.

Charles Leclerc’s hilarious reply on Hamilton to Ferrari rumors

The speculations over Hamilton to Ferrari don’t come in singularity. If the move were to go through, it will affect Charles Leclerc in one way or the other. Either he will leave, most probably to replace Hamilton at Mercedes, or he will be his partner at Ferrari.

During a recent FIA press conference, F1 journalist Will Buxton asked Charles what it was that he looked for in a teammate. The Monegasque had a hearty laugh while turning towards Hamilton and said, “Hello Lewis!”

He continued, “I mean, a fast teammate as everybody, we are in Formula 1 and we love to be fighting against the best. But that’s not to say that my teammate is not fast. Carlos is an extremely fast driver. But yeah, considering that I mean, I’m not the person who makes the choices. So, yeah, let’s see.”

Watch This Story: Charles Leclerc’s $200,000 Masterpiece Showed off at the 2023 Monte Carlo Masters

There is still a long way to go before the season concludes. If Mercedes and Hamilton do not sign an extension soon, such rumors will continue to run unabated.