Ecclestone blasts Hamilton: “Older generation not interested what he has to say”
Hamilton is still navigating new FIA guidelines about “personal, religious and political statements” being made by drivers in the paddock but has vowed to continue speaking out about issues close to his heart.
Last year, Ecclestone told him to “brush off” racist comments by Nelson Piquet - and Hamilton questioned why “older voices” are still given “a platform”.
Ahead of the 2023 season-opening F1 Bahrain Grand Prix, ex-F1 boss Ecclestone told The Telegraph: “Maybe the older generation are not interested in listening to what he has to say.
“In general, the older generation have seen a lot more, done a lot more. Maybe, when the older generation are making statements, and some people think they’re correct, he doesn’t like it, because it’s taking up the space that he would normally have.
“So many things in the world have changed. And the older generation can remember the changes.
“For the younger generation, it’s not the things from the past that they want to remember.
“People now have much more freedom to be heard. It’s all this telephone business. You or I could put something on the phone now and it would be seen worldwide.”
The 92-year-old said about Hamilton’s social activism: “People don’t go to a Formula One race to have a lecture.
“Definitely drivers should have free speech, but it’s a case of when and how they use it.
“It’s wrong. It’s all completely wrong. I’m 100 per cent against it.”
Ecclestone sold F1 to Liberty Media in 2017.
Earlier this week, he claimed that the ‘crashgate’ scandal of 2008 means Hamilton’s first championship should not count, and he should be recognised as a six-time champion rather than a seven-time champion.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
