Lewis Hamilton going to Ferrari shook the F1 community, because nobody, including Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, saw it coming. With the move set to take place after just three more races, Wolff’s feelings about Hamilton’s choice remain unclear.
After an alliance of 11 years, and winning eight constructors’ championships together, it is hard to fathom Hamilton‘s switch. It can be argued that Wolff wasn’t prepared and that somehow reflects on his comments on Hamilton.
On several occasions, Wolff has made statements that contradict his remarks elsewhere. Arguably, Wolff never saw Hamilton’s move to Italy coming, and that’s why he doesn’t know how to feel about it. The initial inconsistencies in his statements appeared when he revealed how he found out about the blockbuster transfer in the first place.
Who told Wolff?
When the news was first confirmed, Wolff claimed that it was Hamilton who came to him after agreeing to a deal with Ferrari. The Austrian admitted that he wasn’t expecting Hamilton to break the news to him the way he allegedly did.
“The surprise was that I’d heard the rumors a couple of days earlier. But wanted to wait for the breakfast we had. We had planned and it was Wednesday morning. This is when he when he broke the news,” said Wolff in February.
Even George Russell saw Hamilton that morning at Wolff’s residence, as he had spent the previous night at his boss’ home in Monaco. But recently, Wolff explained that it was a call from Carlos Sainz and his father that made him aware of Hamilton’s courtship with Ferrari.
Perhaps the rumors referenced by Wolff originated from the Sainz camp. However, revealing them at this stage cast Hamilton in a light that suggested he may have gone behind his boss’s back.
It could be a far-fetched reaction to Wolff’s words. But blaming Hamilton for not giving ‘enough time’ and then reversing on it further provides evidence to this theory.
Is Hamilton responsible?
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was confirmed before the season even started. But Wolff claimed in the new book, Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane, that Hamilton’s timing didn’t give him a chance to approach Charles Leclerc or Lando Norris.
The two drivers at the time—and still today—are among the most highly rated on the grid and could be considered strong, if not equal, replacements for Hamilton. To be fair, both had already confirmed long-term commitments to their respective teams at that point.
Fast forward to the Italian GP in September, Mercedes announced Kimi Antonelli as their new driver alongside George Russell. Wolff revealed to the media that he decided to hire Antonelli “five minutes” after Hamilton informed him about his move to Ferrari.
The statement contradicts Wolff’s statement on Antonelli. This incident is not the only thing against Wolff dealing with Hamilton’s departure.
‘Shelf life’ comment is not a good look
Wolff faced backlash, particularly from Hamilton’s fans, when he stated in the Mercedes book that Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was positive because “it avoids the moment where we need to tell the sport’s most iconic driver that we want to stop.”
“We’re in a sport where cognitive sharpness is extremely important, and I believe everyone has a shelf life.” This comment was not well received and propelled Wolff to clarify his statement and claim it was taken out of context.
“What I was referring to was that all of us age, whether it is in a car, on a pitch, or as a manager or entrepreneur,” he said.
#LasVegasGP | Lewis Hamilton says he doesn’t feel like he needs to prove anything to Toto Wolff amid ‘shelf life’ comments:
“I think just me being here, standing tall, I feel strong, I’ve been training well. Honestly, I feel like I’m in the best place I’ve been mentally and… pic.twitter.com/GQWz4J8HGt
— deni (@fiagirly) November 21, 2024
The clarification and addition of ‘context’ didn’t help at all. In fact, Hamilton on Wednesday, ahead of the Las Vegas GP, said, “I think just me being here, standing tall, I feel strong I’ve been training well, I feel great, honestly I feel like I’m in the best place I’ve been mentally and considering how bad the last race was, I think that says enough.“
Although Hamilton didn’t make any personal attacks on Wolff, he helped defuse the situation by clarifying that the comment wouldn’t sour their relationship. Hamilton emphasized that the clarification had been provided, ensuring no hard feelings between them.
Bad break up in making?
As of now, Wolff has made enough comments to draw criticism from Hamilton’s fans. From an objective standpoint, these remarks may not come across as particularly gracious, but that’s often the nature of F1.
Friends of today can become enemies of tomorrow. Hamilton is indeed joining a fierce rival, conspicuously looking better than Silver Arrows for 2025.
With the competition intensifying next year, if any incident with Hamilton happens, it can trigger the inner resentments Wolff might have with Hamilton.
The Mercedes boss has never been shy about speaking his mind. Right now, Hamilton is still part of the Silver Arrows, so perhaps Wolff is struggling to fully express his feelings about his best driver of the past decade leaving, especially as the team experiences its biggest dip since winning the world title.
