‘Hope He Doesn’t Waste Himself There’ – Ecclestone Sees Lewis Hamilton’s Off-Track Interests as a Hindrance

It is no secret that Mercedes superstar Lewis Hamilton has a lot of varied interests other than racing. The 7-time world champion is actively involved in a number of social causes and even has his own Xtreme E racing team and has also dabbled in music. However, he has never let his interests affect his performances on the track. Nevertheless, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone doubts that the Briton is 100% focused on F1. He believes his off-track matters could derail his title charge.

Ecclestone spoke of the difference between the current champion Lewis Hamilton and the champions of the bygone era, like Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet. The latter three, Bernie reckons, were far more devoted to the actual racing than the Silver Arrows driver is.

When asked if these legendary drivers were as active as Lewis off the track, he said, (translated via Google), “No, definitely not! They were all one hundred percent focused on winning races.

“But Lewis has so many other things and people who want time from him. So I hope he doesn’t waste himself there. That’s typically Lewis. The other drivers are also not like they were 30 years ago. If they had some time back then, they went to their friends. That doesn’t happen anymore today.”

Mercedes and Hamilton fans would certainly hope that the 7-times world champion doesn’t lose focus ahead of what could be a record-breaking season. With the troubles seen in pre-testing, it may not be a far-fetched thought to suggest Red Bull and Max Verstappen in particular can mount a title charge.

Ecclestone hopes Lewis Hamilton does not get distracted by his off-field interests

The F1 supremo gave his verdict for the season coming up. He believes that the Dutch ace poses a challenge to Hamilton’s crown.

He said, “We’ll have to wait and see if things have changed for him in the coming season. I hope that all the things he’s involved in don’t affect his racing skills. But clearly Max Verstappen will challenge him this season.”

The season opener on March 28th looks like a mouth-watering prospect. Moreover, it will provide fans with an indication of what to expect from the season at large.

Will we see Hamilton being challenged by Verstappen, or perhaps Valtteri Bottas? Or will it be yet another season of total domination from Lewis? We shall soon find out.

Also Read: Max Verstappen Explains Lewis Hamilton’s Dramatic Spin in F1 Testing