“There Was No Easier Way to Do It”: Toto Wolff Holds No Grudges Against the Way Lewis Hamilton Left

Ever since Lewis Hamilton announced the news of him leaving Mercedes for Ferrari, Toto Wolff has given several statements on the move. At one point, he said the move did not surprise him. On another occasion, Wolff said it was the timing of Hamilton’s decision that caught him by surprise.

After a while, the Mercedes boss dropped a bombshell and revealed that it wasn’t Hamilton who broke the news of his exit to him. It was rather Carlos Sainz’s father. Wolff then accused Hamilton of leaving him in no-man’s-land in terms of being able to negotiate with someone like Lando Norris to replace him.

All those reactions may have come out of desperation. Once the Austrian manager made peace with Hamilton’s exit, he also empathized with the seven-time champion’s conundrum. He made the admission during a conversation with ESPN’s Laurence Edmondson during the Las Vegas GP weekend.

Edmondson, on the Unlapped podcast, said,

“He [Wolff] said actually, now I look back at it – and this was after reflecting on it for several months after [the announcement of Hamilton’s Ferrari move] – Toto said, ‘there was no real easier way to do it. How else could he [Hamilton] have done this?'”

In the end, Edmondson believes that both parties managed the exit graciously. While he sensed occasions during the season when either side could have turned bitter, towards the end, it all panned out well for both.

Hamilton and Wolff share emotional parting words

Hamilton’s final race with Mercedes was always going to be a teary-eyed affair. Starting in P16 at the Abu Dhabi GP, the Briton did not carry many hopes of finishing among the top drivers.

However, Hamilton was determined to make the best out of it and scythed down the field. In the final few laps, he was hunting down his teammate George Russell for a P4 finish.

Russell, while not expressly told to let Hamilton pass, was given a hint on the team radio to tread with caution. Russell followed the instructions as Hamilton completed the pass on the final lap. After crossing the checkered flag, Hamilton said, “I love you, guys. I really really do.”

Toto Wolff: “If we can’t win, then you should win.” ❤️‍❤️‍❤️‍

pic.twitter.com/FCzXxsjWTf

— Mercedes-AMG F1 News (@MercedesNewsUK) December 8, 2024

To this, Wolff responded, “We love you too and you’re always going to be a part of that family. And if we can’t win, you should win.” Hamilton thanked Wolff for his wonderful words before letting out a sigh of relief.