Bernie Ecclestone has bizarrely told Lewis Hamilton to stop using his platform to fight for what he believes in. Hamilton regularly raises awareness on environmental issues and is a big voice in the Black Lives Matter movement.
However, ex-F1 boss Ecclestone has warned his fellow Brit to shut up and keep quiet.
“Of course there are no doubts about his talent, the results he has achieved speak for themselves,” Ecclestone told Italian publication La Stampa about Hamilton.
“But outside the track he has raised some issues in the wrong way. In the silence behind the scenes, I think he could have achieved a lot more.”
Hamilton, who is a vegan, uses his social media platform to encourage his followers to think about the environment.
The seven-time F1 world champion is hoping Mercedes can become ‘carbon neutral’ in the future.
Along with his environmental battle, the 35-year-old fought for F1 drivers to take the knee before races this season, in which the majority of stars took part.
But Ecclestone is not keen on Hamilton being so vocal about his off-track antics.
Hamilton was not the only victim of Ecclestone’s most recent interview, as he also aimed a jibe at Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, playing down his Championship hopes.
“He is doing well in the sport and will continue to do so,” the 90-year-old explained.
“They all want to lead and they all have ideas. I am not saying that this cannot happen, but we have to look at the Germans, the French and the English. They are people who think differently.”
Ecclestone compared the current problems to 1993 when he had to persuade Ferrari to hire Frenchman Jean Todt to lead the team.
He added: “What happened with Jean Todt was emblematic. The Italians did not want him. I convinced them to take him, and then things went the right way.”