Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has revealed that he told Lewis Hamilton he’ll have to “picture our rear wing” once he makes his Formula 1 switch to Ferrari in 2025.
Hamilton provided a bombshell on the eve of the current campaign when it was announced he would be departing Mercedes to join Ferrari from the start of next season.
The Briton has been associated with the German marque his whole F1 career and his move to its works outfit in 2013 has yielded six Drivers’ titles and 82 race wins to date.
But amid Mercedes’ struggles since F1 returned to ground effect cars in 2022, Hamilton has opted to conclude the twilight seasons of his F1 career with the Italian brand.
Wolff has admitted how leaks to the media meant the relevant parties had little choice but to make an immediate announcement regarding Hamilton’s unexpected decision.
“I think it was difficult for him to really tell me because he left for the Christmas holiday and was Mercedes forever,” Wolff Fox News Australia at the Australian Grand Prix.
“Normally that’s a time where we don’t speak a lot because he’s gone, because otherwise we’re speaking every day. And then he came back and said, can we have a coffee? He came for the coffee, that’s the normal thing we’re doing when the season kicks off, and he said, ‘I’m leaving to Ferrari’. And I said, ‘really?’
“And not that it shocked me, because we knew that we have a short-term contract, but the timing at the beginning of the season.
“I said, ‘why at the beginning of the season?’ He said he just wanted to have it out and not have it as a burden, emotional burden.
“And then you got to stay pragmatic after five minutes [of] shock and disbelief it was like, ‘okay what are we doing announcement, what are we doing going forward into the season?’
“And he said, ‘well the announcement is a tricky thing because I think it’s leaking’, so it didn’t give me lots of options.”
Asked whether he was disappointed in Hamilton amid the close personal relationship the two have shared whilst at Mercedes, Wolff replied: “No, not at all.
“I think sports people have a limited shelf life when they are at the peak of their performance, peak of their earning power and that is maybe 10 to 15 years and they gotta do it and it’s that limited amount of time where you want to win as many races and earn as much as possible and that’s why I understand that he says I gotta go a different path, I need to reinvent myself.
“And I see the positives because our years were so great and we really have a strong bond. And in the same way, we’re able to separate in wishing each other really all the best.
“I hope we’re beating him on track. And we on the same time can embark in a new route with another new driver next to George [Russell].”
Wolff said he still can’t envisage Hamilton wearing Ferrari’s red overalls and remarked that he told the seven-time champion he would end up behind Mercedes cars.
“I think first I can’t imagine him in red,” he added. I don’t think it suits him, but I think that picture is going to be interesting.
“And then I told him, you’ve got to really picture our rear wing because that’s the perspective you’re going to have.”
Mercedes has scored 26 points to endure its worst start to an F1 season since 2012, while Ferrari recorded a 1-2 finish in Australia to move within four points of Red Bull.
