The 11-year partnership between Hamilton and Wolff is coming to an end this year (Image: Getty)
Toto Wolff has revealed that he sought advice from Pep Guardiola over how to deal with the potential exit of a star figure before Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes.
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff chose not to persuade Lewis Hamilton to cancel his Ferrari move having taken advice from Pep Guardiola into account. The seven-time Formula One champion will bid farewell to the Silver Arrows at the end of the current campaign, moving to the Italian team in 2025.
During his 11-year tenure with Mercedes, Hamilton cemented his status as one of the sport’s all-time greats. He secured six world championships, adding to the title he won at McLaren, and played a key role in eight consecutive constructors’ titles. Naturally, his departure leaves a significant void for Wolff to fill.
The Austrian has turned to youth with teenage prodigy Andrea Kimi Antonelli stepping up to take Hamilton’s seat next year. Upon learning of the Brit’s intention to leave, Wolff revealed that he took on board advice from the Manchester City manager on how to handle such a significant departure.
Speaking on the High Performance podcast, hosted by ex-F1 presenter Jake Humphrey, Wolff shared: “I had a chat with Pep Guardiola a long time ago, he’s a friend, and I said ‘What do you do if this and that player leaves?’
“He said ‘What do you mean, what do I do?’ And I said ‘Well, do you try to convince them to stay?’ And he said ‘No. If somebody thinks they can play elsewhere better, then you just have to let them go’.”
Wolff revealed that he respected the advice of the Spaniard, indicating that he didn’t try to persuade Hamilton to change his mind. “It is something that I embrace the same way here,” he added. “If somebody wants to go, then let’s make it as good as possible for each of the parties.”
The news that Hamilton had agreed to sign with Ferrari for the 2025 season emerged before the start of the current campaign. Wolff confessed that he was informed about the sensational move weeks before the official announcement, thanks to Carlos Sainz Sr.
The ex-race driver and father of Carlos Jr, who will be giving up his seat at Ferrari for Hamilton, tipped him off about the news before Hamilton had a chance to inform his boss personally. “So I heard the bells ringing two weeks before,” Wolff elaborated. “Yeah, the old man Sainz called me and said, this is what’s happening. And then there were a few drivers’ dads’ rang me up that didn’t before. So I thought, Okay…there’s something going on there.”
This news led Wolff to send a message to Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur, and the Frenchman’s non-response almost confirmed his suspicions that Hamilton was indeed leaving. “Then I sent a text to Fred Vasseur saying: ‘You’re taking our driver? ‘ Didn’t get any response,” he continued. “Very unusual for Fred. He’s a good friend. So yeah, I saw it coming.”
