Although Ferrari fans are upbeat about the arrival of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in 2025, the same cannot be said for Carlos Sainz and his supporters. The Spaniard will lose his drive with the Italian outfit at the end of this year for no fault of his own. Since Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur played a crucial role in deciding the line-up for 2025, he has now revealed how difficult it was for him to inform Sainz about the team’s decision. However, the Frenchman said that one call for him in this period was even “tougher“.
As revealed by journalist Jenna Fryer via X (formerly Twitter), Vassuer revealed that it was harder for him to contact Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. Although Vasseur and Wolff are the leaders of two rival teams, they share a strong relationship otherwise. When their teams are not in action, the two are often seen having a laugh with one another.
Vasseur also says the call to Carlos Sainz Jr. was one of the toughest of his life, but the call to Toto was tougher.
— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer) February 13, 2024
Hence, it comes as no surprise that Vasseur would have found it difficult to discuss with Wolff about Ferrari poaching Hamilton. However, the Austrian boss is a veteran of the sport, and he most likely will understand that such poaching is a part and parcel of the sport.
Toto Wolff has never been concerned about poaching
Since Mercedes dominated the turbo-hybrid era from 2014 to 2021, many rival teams attempted to poach engineers from the eight-time champions. Red Bull was one of the many sides that poached several engineers from the Silver Arrows. However, despite losing key personnel to Red Bull, Toto Wolff revealed his arch-rival’s tactics did not concern him.
When asked about the same, Wolff replied, “We have a constant influx of Red Bull people, as we have from the other teams. The two of us are often discussing that. It is happening all the time“. The 52-year-old then added that he simply wishes his former staff that leaves Mercedes “the best” despite them having decided to join an arch-rival.
However, losing a key figure such as Lewis Hamilton is likely to hurt any team, including Mercedes. The Briton won six of his seven championships with the Silver Arrows and created a legacy with the team from Brackley.
Why did Lewis Hamilton leave Mercedes for Ferrari?
The primary reason Lewis Hamilton now decided it was best for him to leave Mercedes was because the Silver Arrows refused to accept his demands. As per reports, the 39-year-old was not only looking for a longer-term contract but also an ambassadorial role.
Mercedes rejected both his demands despite Hamilton having raced for them for over a decade. The best the team from Brackley offered Hamilton was a short-term deal that had various clauses.
Since Mercedes were playing hardball, Ferrari sensed an opportunity and grabbed it with both hands. They not only offered Hamilton an ambassadorial role for the next 10 years but also a whopping $87 million salary for 2025, with the option to extend the deal in 2026.
