Bernie Ecclestone has urged Lewis Hamilton to think the unthinkable — and consider a move from Mercedes to Ferrari . Formula One ’ s puppeteer , who still pulls virtually every string in the paddock at the age of 84 , was speaking after calling Hamilton in for talks at his office in Bahrain . Hamilton , 30 , has yet to put pen to paper on a new contract with Mercedes . He says that only small details need finalising , but until the ink is dry there are no guarantees he will stay . Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone with Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain . Nico Rosberg got the better of Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain second practice . Rosberg was slower in sectors one and two of FP2 but a mistake from Hamilton gifted him first place . Hamilton takes a corner in Sakhir , Bahrain ahead of Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel . That leaves the door ajar for Hamilton to team up with Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari to settle which of the pair , who hold six world titles between them , is the better driver . ‘ It would be great to see Lewis at Ferrari , ’ said Ecclestone ahead of practice for Sunday 's Bahrain Grand Prix . ‘ Whether Sebastian would want that , I really don ’ t know . But if Lewis went there , it would be great for the sport — 100 per cent. ’ Every racer dreams of driving the red car of Ferrari and , given their improvement in pace this season , they are an attractive proposition . Hamilton is helped given the fact that Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne has admitted privately that he covets the Brit , rating him as the star driver of his generation . Another team principal suggested Ferrari might approach Hamilton ’ s camp out of mischief to unsettle Mercedes , who remain confident that only legal formalities are delaying them closing the deal . It also remains to be seen if Vettel would veto a move for Hamilton . It is understood that a clause in his contract would allow the German to do so . For now Hamilton is putting his contract negotiations to one side in an attempt to extend his 13-point lead over Vettel in the drivers ’ championship . He won a titanic battle at the front in a memorable race here at Bahrain ’ s Sakhir International Circuit last year against Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg . Hamilton ’ s confidence is high , a result of being in the form of his life . ‘ I ’ ve almost surprised myself , ’ he said . ‘ I have been strong and built on last year . I have been adapting to things well . Hamilton suffered a lock-up in the second sector of the Bahrain International Circuit , leaving him in second . Sparks fly from the rear end of Hamilton 's Mercedes during a practice session in Bahrain . ‘ Winning a second title gives you an extra hop in your walk . I ’ m enjoying the feeling of the hard work I , and my team , have put in. ’ The problem for Rosberg is how to stop a rival who is so confident . He did not manage it in China last week , where the pair rowed over how each conducted his race . Did the bust-up rattle Hamilton ? ‘ I just try and laugh it off and let it go over my head , ’ he said . ‘ It ’ s irrelevant to the race result . I ’ m not one to arrive here and think , “ I ’ ve got the upper hand ; just keep going ” . ‘ I feel very strong in my understanding of the car and what I need to get from the tyres . My race craft is still there , race pace is good , and then qualifying has picked up a little bit . That has been a focus for improvement . ‘ But even in the last qualifying session my final lap in Q3 was not perfect , so I ’ ve still got to improve that . ‘ Overall I feel that if I remove the power of somebody else to give me confidence or take my confidence away , then I ’ m never affected. ’ Sebastian Vettel had issues throughout the day , eventually finishing the second practice in fourth place . Vettel finished fourth , behind Rosberg , Hamilton and third-placed Kimi Raikkonen in Bahrain .
Bernie Ecclestone has urged Lewis Hamilton to consider a move to Ferrari . The 30-year-old has yet to put pen to paper on new contract with Mercedes . The Brit will seek to to extend his 13-point lead at the Bahrain Grand Prix .