Lewis Hamilton and Susie Wolff’s bond stretches long before Toto Wolff became a common link between them as Susie’s husband and Hamilton’s boss. Susie has known the Mercedes driver since their karting days when they even raced together. Reflecting on his journey, the F1 Academy chief praised the seven-time world champion for his cultural impact on the sport.
On The Red Flags podcast, Wolff said, “I admire him so much because he has also been able to use his voice and power to do so much positive in the sport and to have so much impact. He’s done so much on the diversity side and really impactful work. And he has brought so much culture into Formula 1.”
“Walking into the paddock is like a catwalk for a lot of drivers and I think he has done so much for the sport, as much on track as off track.”, she added.
Back in the day, Susie recalled that their families were rather close as “it was a very tight-knit community” when they were karting. The duo even shared a podium once and Hamilton helped her open the champagne bottle.
Lewis Hamilton helping Susie Wolff open the bottle on the podium https://t.co/HyqidZPe5p pic.twitter.com/VFXV1zdZMV
— Stefanie (@fastpitstop) October 12, 2023
She referred to a lot of the initiatives Hamilton has taken to promote diversity and inclusion in the sport. Hamilton has been one of the few drivers to regularly visit the F1 Academy paddock and interact with the female racers. Wolff is proudly heading the female feeder series and aims to push young girls towards F1 one day — something Hamilton is a big supporter of.
So, overall Wolff and Hamilton align on several aspects about the diversity aspect in F1 and motorsport as a whole. However, from a personal perspective, Susie has mixed feelings about the Briton’s move away from Mercedes.
Susie Wolff talks about Hamilton’s move to Ferrari
Having raced with him in karting, Wolff knows the tenacity of Hamilton as a competitor. He often wishes to win and push accordingly without wasting any ounce of effort or time. While his move to Ferrari is based on a similar mindset, Susie feels it will be sad to see him move away from Mercedes — where many thought he would end his career.
Nevertheless, Wolff is also feeling excited about the prospect of seeing the seven-time world champion in the Scarlet red colors of the Prancing Horse. She said, “As much as I am sad in a way that he is going to end his journey with Ferrari, I think it will be an iconic moment to see Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari race suit next season.”
Still, Hamilton would retain his bond with Toto and Susie both. Having known the husband-wife duo both personally and professionally for a long time, it is unlikely that he won’t interact with them whenever he gets time in the paddock next season.
