Bernie Ecclestone identifies Ferrari’s biggest ‘problem’ in F1 and makes worrying Lewis Hamilton prediction

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Bernie Ecclestone has witnessed virtually all of Ferrari’s successes during their 75-year Formula 1 history.

As a driver, Bernie Ecclestone made his debut in F1 at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix, but failed to qualify for the event.

Ecclestone never started a Formula 1 race, but was far more successful off the track, playing a vital role in building the sport into what it is today.

He’s witnessed the likes of Niki Lauda, Jody Scheckter, John Surtees, Kimi Raikkonen and the great Michael Schumacher all win the drivers’ championship for Ferrari.

However, Raikkonen was the last person to achieve that feat for Ferrari back in 2007, and since then, the Scuderia have been searching for their sixteenth individual title.

Ecclestone attended the Austrian Grand Prix and revealed that he was going to be on the podium for the first time to hand out the medals.

Charles Leclerc was one of the grateful recipients alongside both McLaren drivers, with Lewis Hamilton narrowly missing out.

Hamilton has been struggling with bugbears in Ferrari’s 2025 F1 car, but Ecclestone thinks the team’s problems extend far further than that.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Bernie Ecclestone identifies Ferrari’s biggest ‘problem’ in Formula 1 right now

Ecclestone was being interviewed by Sky Sports F1 ahead of the race in Austria and asked about Ferrari, he said: “I think the problem there is what happened when we changed everything.

“All the people that are there are in charge. But there was nobody in charge, except everyone!

“And I think it’s all sort of gone back a little bit that way. It needs one guy, really and truly, there to say, this is how it’s going to be.

“It’s finding the one guy; they should get Luca [De Montezemolo] back!”

Ecclestone was then asked about Vasseur’s job being under threat and continued: “Well, I hope he gets a job done because it’s wrong to keep switching one guy out and another guy because the guy who comes in, he’s not going to be happy with the guy, what he’s been doing, the one that’s leaving.

“They want to change things, that’s the problem with changing people a little bit at the top.”

READ MORE: Who is Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur? Everything you need to know

Bernie Ecclestone doesn’t think Lewis Hamilton will win an eighth F1 championship with Ferrari

Ecclestone was then given the chance to offer his opinion on Hamilton’s championship credentials.

The 40-year-old is 125 points behind current leader Oscar Piastri with 13 Grand Prix still to run.

Although Hamilton’s initial deal runs until the end of next season, the former F1 supremo simply said, “No,” when asked if he’ll ever become an eight-time world champion.

He then continued: “Well, I think, there are periods in everyone’s lives when everything’s going to work well or not work well, and I think he was fortunate enough to be around when, firstly, there wasn’t so much competition, so it was a bit easier.

“And now, he’s got competitors, which when he was winning everything, he didn’t have too many people at the top of the tree.

“But I hope, I mean, he still can get the job done, but whether he can win the world championship where he is, it’s a completely different story.”