Lewis Hamilton informed Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff that he’d be joining Ferrari back in the winter. That has given all parties an extended period to come to terms with the monumental news.
The Austrian insists he wasn’t surprised by his exit – he knew he had the option to leave under his contract. But Wolff did question the timing of Hamilton’s decision, which he made before any competitive racing action.
The narrative has shifted over the course of the season. After Mercedes made a poor start and Ferrari took victories in Australia and Monaco, the suggestion was that Hamilton had pulled off another masterstroke.
His arrival at Mercedes back in 2013 had been perfectly timed. It coincided with McLaren’s downfall and came just a year before the Silver Arrows’ historic run of dominance.
Mercedes enjoyed their best run of the ground-effect era in the summer, winning three out of four races between Austria and the summer break. All of a sudden, the F1 paddock changed its mind on Hamilton’s move.
But Wolff’s squad have now slipped back to fourth in the pecking order. Ferrari are 112 points ahead and within 34 of Red Bull in the battle for second in the constructors’.
Toto Wolff admits Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari will have ‘a huge echo’
Hamilton’s soon-to-be teammate Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari can win the 2025 title. On the other hand, Wolff will view McLaren’s woes as a warning ahead of his departure.
For 2025, he has paired the incumbent George Russell with teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli. Earlier in the year, Wolff was hopeful of signing Max Verstappen but that move fell through.
Speaking to Italian magazine Autosprint, via RacingNews365, he acknowledged the magnitude of Hamilton’s decision. Given the 39-year-old’s unparalleled record and Ferrari’s status, it is surely the biggest driver transfer in F1 history.
Wolff, however, has faith in his new driver line-up to deliver. Russell will assume a team leader role at first, but Antonelli is regarded as a worthy successor who can win multiple world championships himself.
“We think we have found the right combination for the future,” Wolff said. “With Lewis, an icon is leaving. As for the story of Ferrari next year, there will be a huge echo, everywhere.
“A decision with extraordinary consequences, Hamilton’s switch to red. We want to focus on the future and that’s why we have this pairing.”
Charles Leclerc was ‘wary’ of saying one thing about Lewis Hamilton before Mercedes exit
Privately, Wolff may feel that Ferrari haven’t signed a peak version of Lewis Hamilton. He witnessed the force of nature that won five championships in six seasons, defeating the likes of Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel along the way.
While Hamilton is ahead of Russell in this year’s standings, he has struggled for single-lap pace throughout the season. The latter has already sealed the 2024 qualifying battle.
Hamilton has difficulty switching on the tyres on a rubbered-up track. It’s concerning, then, that Oliver Bearman regards Leclerc as F1’s best qualifier.
During a recent interview, the Leclerc was asked if there was anything he could teach Hamilton in 2025. ‘Wary’ of disrespecting the seven-time world champion, he rejected the suggestion.
