Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has opened up on particulars surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s shock transfer to Ferrari – and the way he obtained an early tip-off from Carlos Sainz Sr.
Hamilton informed Wolff throughout a go to to his home on the finish of January that he can be activating an exit clause in his Mercedes contract and becoming a member of Ferrari for the 2025 season.
However whereas Hamilton’s announcement was the primary official affirmation that Wolff had of his driver’s departure, he has now spoken at size about how he had been alerted to the prospect for a short while.
Talking to the Excessive Efficiency podcast, Wolff mentioned that an preliminary name from Sainz Sr., father of the Ferrari driver Carlos that Hamilton is changing, had been the place he first obtained phrase that one thing was within the offing.
“So I heard the bells ringing two weeks earlier than,” mentioned Wolff. “Yeah, the outdated man Sainz known as me and mentioned, that is what’s occurring.
“After which there have been a number of drivers’ dads rang me up that did not earlier than. So I assumed, Okay…there’s one thing occurring there.
“After which I despatched a textual content to [Ferrari boss] Fred Vasseur saying: ‘You are taking our driver?’ Did not get any response. Very uncommon for Fred. He is buddy. So yeah, I noticed it coming.”
Along with his suspicion concerning the intention of Hamilton’s go to to his home, Wolff additionally revealed that he threw a curveball into their chat by first telling the seven-time champion about Mercedes having signed former Ferrari chief designer Simone Resta.
Toto Wolff, Crew Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG, with Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG
Picture by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Photographs
“When Lewis arrived in the home, like he did so a few years earlier than, we had a little bit of a small discuss, like we at all times do concerning the Christmas holidays and all of that,” defined Wolff.
“Then I mentioned, “Nicely, we’re recruiting from Ferrari now. We obtained this man.” And Lewis was, “Oh, there’s one thing I have to inform you.” And yeah, when he mentioned that, that preliminary second was somewhat little bit of… so that is actually occurring?”
When information of Hamilton’s Ferrari choice was made public, it grew to become one of many largest shock information occasions of latest F1 historical past.
However Wolff mentioned that he was in a position to take care of the state of affairs in fairly a relaxed method.
“Nicely, I had a lot worse in my life, occurring, like actual drama and trauma,” he mentioned. “This isn’t even shifting the needle.”
He added: “It is only a new state of affairs. It has dangers and alternatives, dangers within the sense of how do I inform the sponsors as rapidly as potential? As a result of it was leaking… And on the opposite aspect, what are we doing about subsequent 12 months?”
Wolff additionally made it clear that there was no temptation from his aspect to attempt to persuade Hamilton to vary his thoughts.
“I feel if somebody decides to go, then you have to allow them to go,” he mentioned. “I had a chat with Pep Guardiola a very long time in the past, and he’s a buddy. I mentioned, ‘What do you do if this and that participant leaves?’ And he mentioned, ‘What do you imply I do?’ I mentioned, ‘Nicely, do you attempt to persuade them to remain?’
“He mentioned: ‘No, if any individual thinks he can play elsewhere higher or earns extra – you have got simply obtained to allow them to go.’ And it’s one thing that I embrace in the identical method right here. Anyone desires to go – then let’s make it pretty much as good as potential for every of the events.”