Bernie Ecclestone has advised Lewis Hamilton to tear up his Ferrari contract before he has even joined, if he is “fading”.

It has been a tough final campaign with Mercedes for seven-time world champion Hamilton, and former Formula One chief Ecclestone has told Hamilton that he does not have to see this next move through.

“If Lewis is fading, which I don’t like to see, he should go away and do something else, and do a good job at it,” Ecclestone told the Daily Mail.

Hamilton has had to contend with the rise of George Russell at Mercedes. And according to Eccleston, 94, the British driver will find the situation tough at Ferrari too, with the team fancied to strongly back Charles Leclerc. “I don’t think it will be easy for Lewis,” Ecclestone continued. “Especially in that team. They will back Charles Leclerc. He’s quick and has grown up there. They won’t dump him for anyone.”

There are just three races left in the Formula One season.

The advice comes at a time when Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has said that he ‘liked’ that Hamilton was leaving the team, in a new all-access book, Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane.

Wolff said: “I like the situation. It helps us because it avoids the moment where we need to tell the sport’s most iconic driver that we want to stop.”

The Austrian executive compared the situation to football, where managers must continually assess new talent and prepare for the future.

Hamilton is currently seventh in the drivers’ championship, below team-mate Russell. He has two race wins this season and after qualifying 16th at the last grand prix, in Brazil, Hamilton finished in 10th.

The next grand prix on the circuit is in Las Vegas, on November 24.