Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says he ‘appreciated’ Brit’s choice to hitch Ferrari as he averted powerful second | F1 Information

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says he “likes” that Lewis Hamilton selected to depart the staff to hitch Ferrari because it prevented him from having to eliminate the seven-time world champion at a later date.

Hamilton shocked the sporting world on the eve of the 2024 season by confirming it will be his final with Mercedes as he signed a multi-year deal to hitch the long-lasting Italian squad.

Wolff admitted on the time that he had been blindsided by the transfer – which is able to convey to an finish probably the most profitable driver-team partnership within the sport’s historical past – however says considerations over Hamilton’s “shelf life” meant the prospect of getting to drive the Briton out of the staff was already on his thoughts.

With simply three races remaining of Hamilton’s twelfth and last season with the staff, Wolff’s feedback have been reported in Mercedes’ new all-access ebook Inside Mercedes F1: Life within the Quick Lane, which adopted the staff by way of their turbulent 2023 marketing campaign and the beginning of 2024.

“I absolutely had it on my radar that Lewis would go,” Wolff instructed the ebook’s writer Matt Whyman.

“I simply could not perceive why he’d change to a different staff earlier than we knew if we have been going to be aggressive.

“It additionally did not give me any time to react, I needed to emergency name our companions, and I probably missed out on negotiating with different drivers who had signed contracts a number of weeks earlier like Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.

“[But] I like the situation. It helps us because it avoids the moment where we need to tell the sport’s most iconic driver that we want to stop.”

Hamilton’s choice caught many without warning given it got here simply 5 months after he had signed what was publicised as a two-year contract extension with Mercedes, which was later revealed to have had a break clause following the primary yr.

Wolff stated the very fact there was a break clause open to each driver and staff reveals Mercedes have been already open to the concept of Hamilton’s exit coming sooner moderately than later.

“There’s a reason why we only signed a one-plus-one-year contract,” Wolff added.

“We’re in a sport where cognitive sharpness is extremely important, and I believe everyone has a shelf life.”

Wolff initially made a public and chronic pursuit of Pink Bull’s soon-to-be-crowned four-time world champion Max Verstappen, however ultimately settled for changing Hamilton with Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

The Austrian in contrast the duty of changing Hamilton to these Premier League greats Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola have confronted when regenerating their title-winning squads.

“I need to look at the next generation,” Wolff stated.

“It’s the same in football. Managers like Sir Alex Ferguson or Pep Guardiola. They anticipated it in the performance of their top stars and brought in junior players that drove the team for the next years.”

The discharge of the ebook comes simply days after Mercedes insisted they absolutely count on Hamilton to see out his last three races with the staff, after cryptic radio messages following the Sao Paulo Grand Prix led to hypothesis over a doable early exit.

Hamilton has struggled together with his type for the reason that sport’s summer season break, failing to assert a podium within the final seven rounds after a run of two wins in three races in July.

System 1 returns with the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22-24, dwell on Sky Sports activities F1 the place Max Verstappen may seal the championship. Get Sky Sports activities F1 to look at each race and extra dwell