F1 legend Lewis Hamilton given new 'Sherlock Holmes' nickname by Toto Wolff

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F1 News & Gossip

'Sherlock Holmes' - Lewis Hamilton given new nickname by Toto Wolff

Lewis Hamilton and his former F1 boss Toto Wolff are still in contact

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 16 March 2026 10:57

Ferrari F1 star Lewis Hamilton has landed a new nickname thanks to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, inspired by some sneaky behaviour on the seven-time champion's part.

Hamilton and his former boss have kept in contact even after the British racer moved to Ferrari last year, with Wolff watching on as his old driver struggled greatly with the underperforming Italian squad in 2025.

But 2026 has presented both Mercedes and Ferrari with a clean slate thanks to the comprehensive overhaul of the chassis and power unit regulations, with a year of fierce on-track competition between the Maranello and Brackley-based squads looking likely.

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But it is the Silver Arrows who have dominated the opening stages of the new campaign, with Hamilton's old team-mate George Russell and Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli bringing home yet another one-two for Mercedes in Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix.

And Hamilton has been keen to keep a close eye on his former team... a very close eye indeed.

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Sherlock Holmesilton? Nope, never mind

After Russell claimed the first sprint race pole position of his career at the Chinese GP, Hamilton was spotted taking a detailed look at the Mercedes W17 that allowed his ex-team-mate to go fastest on Friday in Shanghai.

In a video posted to the official F1 X account, the Ferrari driver could be seen taking his time to study the rival machinery, with an accompanying caption that read: "Nothing to see here! Just Inspector Hamilton taking a peep at the Mercedes".

But it seems Wolff is more fond of the detective classics, referring to Hamilton as 'Sherlock Holmes' when speaking to the media in Shanghai last weekend.

Wolff: Hamilton told me he's 'in a good place' at Ferrari

Russell went on to win Saturday's sprint race, where he was joined on the podium by the Scuderia's driver duo of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the 100km sprint, Wolff was asked what he made of Hamilton's respectable racecraft making a return after the seven-time champion enjoyed a tight battle with Russell in China.

The Austrian then revealed: "I was texting with him yesterday evening, and I said, ‘I am happy to see that you enjoy to race these cars’, and he said, ‘yeah, I am in a good place now'.”

Sky F1's Ted Kravitz then pointed out that Hamilton's improvements had come after he'd finished inspecting the Mercedes monster the day before, prompting Wolff to coin the new nickname.

Come Sunday, Hamilton's words to Wolff proved true having definitely improved his position at the Scuderia by bringing an end to his 27-race streak without a grand prix podium, finishing behind Russell and Antonelli in P3 at this year's Chinese GP.

Lewis Hamilton Toto Wolff Chinese Grand Prix Shanghai International Circuit