The time that all Formula 1 fans around the globe have been waiting for is finally here. It’s the race weekend. Following a practice session, the war on track will begin from Saturday’s qualifying sessions. However, even before the wheels turn on the track, there is already a war of words ensued between Lewis Hamilton and Bernie Ecclestone.

Bernie Ecclestone is the former boss of Formula 1 and is one of the most controversial figures in the sport. The British billionaire’s unfiltered comments often become headline material. This is exactly what Ecclestone decided to do again to respond to an old comment made by Lewis Hamilton in an interview with The Telegraph.

Ecclestone did not appreciate Hamilton’s “older voice” comment and issued a response. He said, “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.”

Ecclestone also suggested that the Mercedes man was just sore at losing publicity. “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,” he added.

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Despite being his own harshest critique, Hamilton often attracts a lot of outside criticism as well. With his latest comments, Bernie Ecclestone is proving just that.

However, let’s look at what invoked this response from the former boss.

Lewis Hamilton made a stern statement after Nelson Piquet’s racist remarks

Former three-time Brazilian world champion Nelson Piquet used a racial slur to refer to Hamilton during a live stream in 2021. The comment went viral during the 2022 season and landed Piquet in a pool of controversy and scrutiny. After taking considerable time, Hamilton added to the scrutiny with a stern statement.

“I’ve been on the receiving end of racism and criticism and negativity in archaic narratives for a long, long time. So there’s nothing really particularly new for me. I think it’s more about the bigger picture. I don’t know why we are continuing to give these older voices a platform. Because they are speaking on our sport and we’re looking to go somewhere completely different,” said Hamilton.

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Bernie Ecclestone has clearly taken personally to this comment from Hamilton and decided to hit back at his fellow countryman right before the season opener. As usual, some off-track drama will accompany Hamilton for the race weekend.