Toto Wolff reveals Lewis Hamilton DECLINE in brutal swipe at F1 champion

Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff — Photo: © IMAGO

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Wolff reveals Hamilton DECLINE in brutal swipe at F1 champion

Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of the season

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 9 November 2024 08:27 Updated: 11:15

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Toto Wolff has hinted at Lewis Hamilton’s decline in performance after aiming a brutal swipe at the F1 champion.

Hamilton revealed at the beginning of the year that he would be leaving Mercedes and joining Ferrari in 2025, in a shock move from the champion.

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The past few seasons at Mercedes have been disappointing for the Brit, with the team’s performance falling behind their rivals and Hamilton enduring his longest winless streak.

Not only has Hamilton struggled with the recent generation of cars, but has also been beaten comprehensively by his team-mate George Russell in qualifying in 2024.

Lewis Hamilton has had tough competition in George Russell this season

Has Lewis Hamilton’s F1 performance declined?

In the past few races, Hamilton has suffered an early crash at the US GP and a Q2 exit in Brazil, leading some to question the capabilities of the champion.

F1 teams have turned to the younger talent for their driver lineup's in 2025, with Mercedes replacing Hamilton with junior driver Kimi Antonelli as they prepare for the future.

Whilst Hamilton’s fight will surely return when he joins Ferrari in 2025, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff does not believe that the champion possesses the longevity in the sport.

Wolff recently revealed the reason he did not extend Hamilton’s contract in a brutal swipe, where he hinted the champion’s performance is on the decline.

Toto Wolff hints at Lewis Hamilton's F1 decline

“There’s a reason why we only signed a one-plus-one-year contract,” Wolff said on the High Performance Podcast.

“We’re in a sport where cognitive sharpness is extremely important, and I believe everyone has a shelf life. So I need to look at the next generation.

“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.”