Former Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone claims Lewis Hamilton isn't the same racer he was in 2017, when he won his fourth championship, amid the Briton's current lack of success in the sport.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admitted at the Chinese GP that Hamilton wasn't in the "best place", a comment played down by Hamilton himself, after team-mate Valtteri Bottas outqualified him for a second successive race.
Ecclestone, who arrived in the Baku paddock on Friday, believes Hamilton is "fed up" and that's having an impact on his performance.
"He doesn't seem to be the Lewis that he was before," the 87-year-old told Sky Sports.
"I don't know whether it's me – but when you talk to him and see him act the way he acts generally, he's not the racer he was.
"He's still very quick, still super talented, still a super nice guy but maybe he's just getting a little bit tired of travelling and he's fed up with things."
Ecclestone is therefore backing good friend Sebastian Vettel for the title as the Ferrari man has already claimed two wins and tops the championship table, albeit with only a small advantage of nine points.
"It would be nice to see Sebastian win because he's a mate of mine and I support him always. So I hope he can get the job done."
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