Wolff accused of being Hamilton to Ferrari leak source

Ex-Formula 1 driver Ivan Capelli has accused Toto Wolff of being the source who leaked the news that Lewis Hamilton will be leaving Mercedes for Ferrari.

Hamilton will make the switch at the end of the current season, ending a partnership spanning more than a decade, and which brought him six drivers' championship wins.

With Hamilton moving to the Italian team alongside Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz is left without a seat for next season, with team principal Frederic Vasseur describing the phone calls to the Spaniard and Wolff about the move as ‘[some] of the most difficult calls’ of his life.

The transfer not only affects Sainz, but it has also blown open the driver market for 2025, with 13 drivers out of contract at the end of the year, setting up a potentially exciting driver lineup for next season.

READ MORE: Hamilton reveals thoughts on Horner investigation

Capelli blames Wolff for Hamilton to Ferrari leak

Many fans and pundits alike wondered why the transfer was announced at the time, especially a year before the move is due to happen, but Vasseur stated at the launch of the SF-24 that they wanted to announce the transfer then so that there were “no distractions” for the team.

Mercedes chief Wolff said that he was surprised by the timing of the news, but former Ferrari driver Capelli, who raced with Ferrari with F1 in 1992, has accused the Austrian of leaking the news.

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Capelli stated that Wolff started the leak that led to the announcement of Hamilton joining Ferrari, an agreement that certainly would have been revealed at a later time than it actually was.

“It was a trip by Toto Wolff to Hamilton and Ferrari,” he said. “It burned an announcement to be made during the current season”.

READ MORE: Wolff hints at driver to help deal with Hamilton 'curveball'

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