Soon after it was revealed that Lewis Hamilton will be leaving Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season, events that took place behind the scenes started coming into light. One of the most shocking revelations was Toto Wolff’s unawareness of the move. Wolff and Hamilton both joined Mercedes in 2013, and have enjoyed success over the last decade. However, as the Austrian revealed, he was one of the last people to know.
Appearing on the Chequered Flag podcast, Wolff discussed the exact moment Hamilton informed him about his departure. “I was surprised of the timing. The sheer fact didn’t come as a shock at all, it was more: Why now? And why from one day to the other? But that discussion probably lasted a minute,” the 52-year-old said.
#F1 | Toto Wolff on how his conversation with Lewis Hamilton went at his Oxford home: “We had a very amicable chat like we always have, then I we started to talk about changing the organisation and he said ‘I need to tell you something: I’m signed for Ferrari for next year.’”
“I… pic.twitter.com/yl5AkF3O30
— deni (@fiagirly) February 27, 2024
Hamilton signed an extension with Mercedes in 2023, that was supposed to keep him at the team until 2025. But that stay will be cut by one season, and he will leave for Ferrari after the ongoing campaign. This makes Wolff, and the entire Mercedes team even more disappointed.
Hamilton, however, insisted that Wolff’s non-involvement in the entire deal was nothing personal.
How did Lewis Hamilton’s top-secret Ferrari deal work out?
From 2025 onwards, Hamilton will be suiting up in red overalls, and drive for Ferrari, arguably F1’s most iconic team. Driving for the Maranello-based outfit was a lifelong dream. Yet, he kept the secret from his closest associates in the sport.
As it turns out, even his parents did not know about the deal! “I didn’t tell my parents till the day of it being announced. So, no one knew,” Hamilton revealed, per TalkSport.
He went on to explain, “I really wanted to do it for myself. Ultimately, I had to find out what would be the best for me.”
Mercedes’ board of directors refused a proposed deal to make Lewis Hamilton a Mercedes ambassador until 2035.
John Elkann proposed a $400 million investment in Lewis’ projects such as Mission44 and transform him into an ambassador for Ferrari.
— Mercedes-AMG F1 News (@MercedesNewsUK) February 2, 2024
Hamilton’s decision to leave Mercedes was likely influenced by the fact that he hadn’t won a race for two years. However, there could be other reasons too.
While the Mercedes board refused to grant the Briton the ideal length in terms of the duration of his contract and an ambassadorial role within the team, Ferrari have already agreed to a whopping $400 million contract. They have also vowed to support Hamilton in his off-track ventures.
