Lewis Hamilton stunned Mercedes staff principal Toto Wolff when he broke the information over breakfast that he was leaving the F1 staff for Ferrari, however there’s “no grudge” between them, Wolff stated Friday.
Wolff stated he had heard rumors that Hamilton would possibly depart however did not know for positive till the F1 nice confirmed it in a gathering over breakfast on Wednesday at Wolff’s dwelling in Oxford, England.
Hamilton is leaving Mercedes on the finish of the upcoming season to hitch Ferrari for 2025 in a transfer introduced Thursday. Hamilton has raced for Mercedes since 2013 and received six of his seven titles with the staff.
“The surprise was that I’ve heard the rumors a couple of days earlier but wanted to wait for the breakfast we had planned, and it was Wednesday morning, and this is when he broke the news,” Wolff stated Friday.
“But, you know, you can be very straightforward with me because I’m very straightforward too. So once he said, ‘This is what I’m trying to do,’ that was the fact. I didn’t try to convince him otherwise.”
Wolff added that he nonetheless considers Hamilton a pal. “In the future, we will discuss whether this could have been done in a different way or not, but I hold no grudge.”
In a glimpse into the shock throughout the wider Mercedes staff, Wolff stated Hamilton’s longtime race engineer Peter Bonnington — generally known as ‘Bono’ of their conversations over the radio throughout races — replied “Is it April 1?” when instructed Hamilton would go away.
Hamilton solely finalized a two-year extension with Mercedes on the finish of August however is activating a launch clause that enables him to depart after a 12 months.
Wolff stated the very fact Hamilton was searching for a brand new problem wasn’t a shock however the timing was. He urged Hamilton could be “rolling the dice” because the 39-year-old driver seeks one other shot at what could be his eighth F1 title.
“We knew that by signing a short-term contract, it might be of profit for either side. We couldn’t commit for an extended interval and he takes the choice to exit. We completely respect which you could change your thoughts, it’s completely different circumstances,” he stated.
Mercedes can now take its time deciding on a brand new driver to companion George Russell for subsequent 12 months, Wolff added. He likened Mercedes’ want for a brand new driver to coping with the sudden departure in 2016 of Hamilton’s then-teammate Nico Rosberg, who retired from F1 days after profitable the title.
“I always like change because change provides you opportunity, and in the same way we’ve embraced the Nico situation,” he stated. “And that was equally like from one moment to the other, unexpected.”
Hamilton has not received a race since 2021, when he narrowly — and controversially — missed out on the title to Verstappen on the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Mercedes struggled to adapt to new “ground effect” aerodynamics reintroduced for 2022 and Russell’s victory in Sao Paulo that 12 months is the staff’s solely win since then. In 2026 — which might be Hamilton’s second season of a “multi-year” cope with Ferrari — a brand new algorithm is anticipated to shake up the grid.
Wolff stated he has no considerations about involving Hamilton with Mercedes’ automobile growth, even with Hamilton on account of be part of a rival. “I don’t have any doubt in Lewis’ integrity in terms of sharing information,” Wolff stated.
Hamilton has been linked with Mercedes for many of his life, ever since he signed with McLaren as a 13-year-old champion in karting. Mercedes was McLaren’s engine provider on the time and Hamilton was a part of what was then generally known as the McLaren-Mercedes program for creating younger drivers.
In more moderen instances, Mercedes has additionally been a key supporter of Hamilton’s efforts to enhance variety in F1. In 2021, he and the staff joined collectively to arrange the Ignite initiative to provide extra alternatives for individuals from a various vary of backgrounds who want to enter careers in areas like motorsport, science and engineering.
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