The team principal who told Toto Wolff that he would be moving to Ferrari in 2025 told Lewis Hamilton to imagine Mercedes' rear wing. Because that will be his “point of view” next season.
Hamilton signed a two-year contract with Mercedes last August, but the Briton opted to trigger a release clause that would allow him to leave after just one year.
Toto Wolff: Hamilton and Ferrari leaks 'didn't give us many options'
Deadline notes that he decided he wanted to take on a new challenge during F1's Christmas break, and the decision, communication, negotiation and contract were all made over a six-week period.
Then, as news began to leak, Wolff got word that Hamilton had spoken to team bosses about his move.
Asked about the time gap between his sit-down with Hamilton and the announcement, Wolff told Fox Sports Australia: “There wasn't much.”
“I think it was hard for him to tell me the truth because he went away on Christmas break and was Mercedes forever. Usually that's the time we don't talk much, because he's gone, so Because otherwise we would be talking every day.
“And he came back and said, 'Can I have coffee?'” He came for coffee, which is a normal thing we do when the season starts, but he I said, “I'm moving to Ferrari.'' And I said, “Really?”
“I wasn't shocked because I knew it was a short-term contract, but it was at the beginning of the season. I said, 'Why at the beginning of the season?' He said he just wanted to get it out without weighing it down.
“Then we need to stay realistic. After five minutes of shock and disbelief, we were like, 'Okay, what are we going to announce?' What will we do for the season? '
“And he said, 'Well, it's difficult to announce because I think information is being leaked.' It didn't give me a lot of options.”
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Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013, the same year he signed Wolff, and the pair won six British Drivers' Championship titles together and won the Constructors' Championship eight years in a row from 2014 to 2021. Obtained with.
The question then becomes, is Wolff “disappointed” by Hamilton's decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari?
“No, that's not true,” he insisted.
“I think athletes have a limited lifespan at peak performance or peak income, and it’s probably 10 to 15 years. You have to win.
“That's why I understand him saying, 'We need to go a different route, we need to reinvent ourselves.'”
“I think it's a positive thing because our few years have been really great and we had a really strong bond. And in the same way, we can part ways with our best wishes for each other.” Masu.
“Hopefully we can beat him on the track. And we can embark on a new route with another new driver next to George at the same time.”
And it was Wolff, 39,'s jibe at Hamilton after he broke the news that beat him on track.
“First of all, I don't think he can imagine being in the red. I don't think it suits him,” added the Austrian. “But I think that picture will be interesting.
“And I said to him, 'Just picture our rear wing, because that's the perspective you have.'
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