Toto Wolff has conceded Lewis Hamilton‘s impending Mercedes exit has “helped” the team avoid a situation where it wants to end the parties’ Formula 1 partnership.
Hamilton sent shockwaves through F1 in February when it was announced that he would be departing Mercedes to head to Ferrari in 2025 on a multi-term agreement.
The Briton signalled his intent to conclude his F1 career with Mercedes with a new deal last September, but the inclusion of an exit clause permitted an earlier release.
But although Hamilton’s choice emerged as a surprise to the general public, Mercedes boss Wolff insisted at the time that he was not shocked when he was informed.
“I absolutely had it on my radar that Lewis would go,” Wolff told Matt Whyman in his new behind-the-scenes book on the Mercedes team via Motorsport Magazine.
“I just couldn’t understand why he’d change to another team before we knew if we were going to be competitive.”
Wolff admitted that the timing stung Mercedes as drivers who could have replaced Hamilton had all penned contract extensions with their existing teams weeks prior.
“It also didn’t give me any time to react,” he added.
“I had to emergency call our partners, and I possibly missed out on negotiating with other drivers who had signed contracts a few weeks earlier like Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.”
Wolff sees upside to Hamilton departure
Wolff claimed Hamilton leaving on his own terms provided a positive, however, as it has ruled out Mercedes pushing the seven-time F1 champion aside down the line.
“[But] I like the situation,” the Austrian continued. “It helps us because it avoids the moment where we need to tell the sport’s most iconic driver that we want to stop.”
Hamilton’s short-term Mercedes deal explained
Wolff explained that Mercedes elected not to tie Hamilton, who will be 40 once he begins his Ferrari venture, to a longer-term deal as he was mindful about the future.
The German marque has since revealed that Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 18, will take over the seat that Hamilton has held since 2013 to partner incumbent George Russell.
“There’s a reason why we only signed a one-plus-one-year contract,” he asserted.
“We’re in a sport where cognitive sharpness is extremely important, and I believe everyone has a shelf life.
“So I need to look at the next generation. It’s the same in football. Managers like Sir Alex Ferguson or Pep Guardiola.
“They anticipated it in the performance of their top stars and brought in junior players that drove the team for the next years.”
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