Toto Wolff slams 'terrible' Lewis Hamilton choice

Lewis Hamilton

Toto Wolff slams 'terrible' Lewis Hamilton choice

Wolff assesses Hamilton at Ferrari

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 9 September 2025 18:57

Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff has revealed his disapproval towards one of Lewis Hamilton’s decisions at Ferrari.

Since leaving Mercedes, Wolff has been one of Hamilton’s main cheerleaders, reminding audiences that the champion still has his old magic despite a disappointing first year at Ferrari.

The Hungarian GP in particular was a low point for Hamilton, where he described himself as ‘useless’ and said Ferrari should sack him after a Q2 exit in qualifying.

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Speaking to the media, Wolff has since claimed it was a mistake for Hamilton to make those comments and labelled them as a ‘terrible choice’.

"I thought it was wrong to say that, and I told him that night and again the next day," Wolff said.

"Because he's still the G.O.A.T. [Greatest Of All Time]. What I said to him was, 'Have you ever heard Michael Jordan say about himself that he's useless and needs to be replaced?' No!"

"He's a person who shows his feelings openly, which is good, it's a fantastic trait of his: he expresses his emotions. And that's what makes him the superstar he is. He feels certain emotions and doesn't hide them."

"But that, in my opinion, was a terrible choice on his part, because it's simply not true. If he retires, he'll still be the G.O.A.T.. He'll retire and no one will ever know he was at Ferrari after all. Who cares about the Schumacher and Mercedes era? It's irrelevant to Schumacher's career, so..."

Hamilton and Ferrari mirrors Schumacher at Mercedes

Wolff referenced Schumacher’s career at Mercedes, which lasted from 2010 and 2012 for the seven-time world champion, but failed to pick up a single win with the team during that period.

Similarly to Hamilton at Ferrari against Charles Leclerc, Schumacher was not as quick as then team-mate Nico Rosberg, who picked up five podiums and a race win during his stint alongside the F1 legend.

In fact, Schumacher never beat Rosberg over the course of a season at Mercedes, with the younger driver outscoring the champion 142 points over 72 in 2010.

However, in the overview of Schumacher’s career, nobody remembers him as the driver that lost his magic at Mercedes and was trounced by Rosberg.

Instead, Schumacher is remembered for his Ferrari glory years, winning seven world titles, a timely reminder for Hamilton.

Like Schumacher, Hamilton is a seven-time world champion, was dominant with one team during a single era, and in the twilight of his career at his new team, while also being beaten by his younger team-mate.

If Schumacher’s legacy is anything to go by, Hamilton’s Ferrari career – if it remains on it's current trajectory – will be nothing but a blip for the F1 legend's wider legacy.

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