Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has revealed how Lewis Hamilton’s bombshell decision to depart for Ferrari from the 2025 Formula 1 season was communicated to him.
Hamilton has been linked with Mercedes his entire F1 career, with his move to the marque’s works team in 2013 seeing him becoming the most successful driver ever.
Despite the German outfit’s struggles since the regulations were overhauled in 2022, Hamilton signed a two-year extension last August to remain aligned with Mercedes.
However, it was announced on Thursday evening that Hamilton had activated a break clause included in the terms of that deal to agree upon a switch to Ferrari for next year.
Speaking to media, including Motorsport Week, for the first time since it became official, Wolff outlined how and when he was informed of Hamilton’s intention to leave.
“How did it all go? When we re-signed the contract with Lewis we opted for [the] shorter term, so the events are not a surprise, but maybe the timing is,” he said.
“What happened is that we got together for coffee in my place in Oxford, with him returning to the factory [this week], and he said to me that he has decided to race for Ferrari in 2025. That was basically it and we had a good hour of conversation and this is where we are.”
Hamilton’s decision comes only less than a year after he claimed he wanted to emulate the late Stirling Moss by retaining his affiliation with Mercedes until his “last days”.
Wolff admits that he can’t detail the precise reason for Hamilton’s reversal, but he accepts that fulfilling the dream of racing for Ferrari would have been a big attraction.
“I cannot tell you exactly, all I know is that we were very aligned when we went in to the Christmas period and I think we have said that in public and in the team,” he explained.
“You need to ask Lewis why he changed his mind. How he framed it to me is perfectly understandable, he needed a new challenge and he was looking for a different environment and this was maybe the last possibility to do something else.
“We are big boys, we knew that signing a short-term contract could be of benefit to both sides. We couldn’t commit for a longer period and he has taken the option to exit.
“So, in a way, we totally respect that you can change your mind in different circumstances, and switching to Ferrari maybe for the last peak in his career, maybe rolling the dice a bit, I can follow that decision.”
Wolff divulged that he and Hamilton had held previous discussions about the prospect of the latter moving to Ferrari and he had always been mindful of that occuring.
When asked if he had been prepared for this outcome, the Austrian answered: “Yes, because every race driver dreams about being in a red overall and in the red car. We’ve discussed it many times before that this would be an exciting to do one day.
“But over the years we came to the conclusion that staying at Mercedes and finishing the legacy here is something that one can be proud of.
“But I never ignore the possibility of change – whether it’s Ferrari or another team – so this is what it is. The fact didn’t surprise me at all, maybe the timing, but I can understand where he was coming from and that was to protect the team’s interest going forward.”
The Mercedes team boss, who has extended his tenure, asserts that he “holds no grudges” with Hamilton and their friendship will outlast any professional differences.
“You know, when he told me first, my next thought was pragmatic, what does it mean? When are we communicating this? What are the pressure points? How are we managing this season going forward, and what is it we are going to do in terms of driver line-up,” he elucidated.
“That was the mind, the Mercedes, the team’s mind kicked in. Now, having slept a few nights on it, it means that our professional journey comes to an end, working together, but it doesn’t mean that our personal relationship ends. I’ve found a friend, we’ve built a relationship over the last 10 years, and he faced a very, very difficult situation, taking a decision of where to drive, maybe for the first time since 10 years without being able to brainstorm with me.
“And therefore, I will always respect the difficulty of the situation that he faced. And in the future, we will discuss whether this could have been done in a different way or not. But I hold no grudge.”
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