15/05/2025 11:55
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has asserted he maintains a
friendship with Lewis Hamilton despite his switch to Ferrari.
Hamilton brought an end to his association with Mercedes at the end
of the 2024 campaign. The seven-time champion joined Ferrari
alongside Charles Leclerc for a new career chapter, but has largely
struggled across the opening rounds of the season. Wolff was at the
helm of the Mercedes throughout Hamilton's entire stint at the
Brackley-based squad, which included an incredible 84 race wins and
six F1 titles. The Austrian has detailed his friendship with the
40-year-old remains unchanged. "We're still great friends with
Lewis," Wolff told media including RacingNews365 . "I spent a lot
of time with him, travelling, and I'm still seeing him. It came to
a point last year where, you know, it's like spending 12 years in a
row on holiday with your best friend. "At a certain stage you say,
well, maybe do something else this time around. And for Lewis, he
needed a refresher, a reinvention. "Ferrari is iconic, no doubt
about that. Certainly he also got terms that were interesting for
him." Hamilton was replaced at the team by rookie Kimi Antonelli to
commence a new era for Mercedes. Wolff highlighted it was only a
matter of time before the Italian protégé was handed a promotion to
the squad. "With us, Kimi was in the starting blocks – eventually
it was this year or it would have been next year to bring him in,"
Wolff said. "Bringing him in this year means we have a learning
year before new regulations kick in. "He's going to know all the
tracks and that felt like the right decision."
