Susie Wolff reveals 'upset' over Lewis Hamilton Mercedes exit

Susie Wolff has disclosed the emotional implications of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes exit on both herself and F1 team principal Toto Wolff.

Hamilton stunned the F1 world when he announced his blockbuster switch to Ferrari at the beginning of the 2024 season, after a decade of success with Mercedes and six world drivers’ titles.

The fairytale eighth championship hasn’t materialised for Hamilton in 2025, but far from feeling smug, his former team boss Wolff remains close with the champion and revealed this year that the pair remain friends.

Hamilton also has a strong relationship with F1 Academy managing director and former driver Susie Wolff, who recently opened up about Hamilton’s exit from Mercedes and how it impacted herself and her husband emotionally.

Speaking on the Road to Success podcast, Wolff said: “Toto’s really good about getting his emotions in check quite quickly.

“Even when Lewis left for Ferrari, I got upset quite quickly as to how it was done. But he [Toto] said ‘We’re going to be okay. You know we’re going to be friends with Lewis and this is all going to be okay, just give it time!’.”

Wolff’s friendship with Hamilton

Susie Wolff and Hamilton emerged on the single-seater British racing scene together, where they competed alongside one another during the Formula Renault UK series in 2003.

The pair would go on to share a podium together that year at Snetterton, where Hamilton won the race while Wolff finished third.

Wolff has offered frank insight into her friendship with Hamilton during her recent media tour promoting her new memoir Driven; and on the High Performance podcast discussed the seven-time world champion further.

The former racing driver credited Hamilton for his influence in F1 and praised him for his support when the FIA launched an investigation into Wolff over a conflict of interest - which was eventually dismissed.

"Well, I think Lewis is always someone that has been willing to use his voice for good and has always been someone that's seen a wider picture of how his influence can have a positive impact," she explained.

"And you know, sometimes it's easy to take the trodden path that everyone else does, but he's absolutely forged his own path and he's had such a big impact in the sport.

"It was no surprise for me that he was one to stand up and speak because he is always the one that stands up to speak when there's something to be said, or when something hasn't been said but needs to be said."

READ MORE: Russell to Ferrari? How Verstappen could decide Hamilton's future

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