Toto Wolff Sees Lewis Hamilton’s Upcoming Ferrari Move as a Good Change

Lewis Hamilton will drive in Monza this weekend, a venue that will soon become his home, after he moves to Ferrari in 2025. His current boss Toto Wolff, however, is not bitter about it. He also doesn’t regret the whole fiasco regarding his contract renewal which ultimately resulted in him leaving. Wolff labeled it as a welcome change for the Briton.

Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013 and won six World championships with the Brackley-based outfit. All was good. But tensions started to creep in following Mercedes’ slump with the onset of the turbo-hybrid era in 2022. Hamilton still trusted the team but felt betrayed when the team didn’t offer him the contract he desired in 2023.

Reports suggested that Hamilton reluctantly signed a 1+1 deal, and when Ferrari came knocking with a guaranteed multi-year contract, he jumped ship.

Wolff, however, does not blame the management for fumbling and losing a seven-time title winner. Instead, he sees the positives for the driver with whom he achieved so much success.

“The good thing with him is he’s able to put himself in your position and understood where we were coming from,” he stated on the F1: Chequered Flag Podcast. “In that respect, there’s no bad feelings, there’s no betrayal. I think it was also for the good of him to change. “

Wolff also admitted that Hamilton needed to reinvent himself. Even though he will be moving to Ferrari, a rival team, he received messages of support from everyone at Mercedes, especially because he would also be fulfilling his life-long dream of driving for the Maranello-based team.

Things could have gone differently for Wolff and Hamilton had Mercedes agreed to the 39-year-old’s demands. But even in hindsight, Wolff would not have it any other way.

Both Hamilton and Mercedes need to grow

Wolff believes that change was necessary, not just for Hamilton, but also for the team. After 11 years together, they both needed space to grow. Mercedes is going through a rough patch after dominating the sport for eight years, and Hamilton has finite time in the sport.

Wolff revealed that Hamilton understood the team’s position and decided not to leave immediately. However, he wanted to secure his future, and Ferrari — a team poised to make major strides — seemed like his best option.

Building for the future pic.twitter.com/W1N4iFoCvW

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) August 31, 2024

Now, Mercedes can invest in its future, and they have done so by announcing Kimi Antonelli as its new driver from 2025 onwards. The 18-year-old will kickstart a new era for the Silver Arrows with teammate George Russell, and Wolff at the helm.