Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff reveals Lewis Hamilton talks over STUNNING early exit

Lewis Hamilton, Toto Wolff, Social, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Wolff reveals Hamilton talks over STUNNING early exit

Lewis Hamilton could have made an earlier Mercedes exit

Originally written by Sheona Mountford. This version is a translation.

Tuesday 17 December 2024 20:00

Toto Wolff has admitted that he and seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton discussed the possibility of the latter leaving Mercedes far earlier than expected.

Hamilton has now driven his last race for the team, leaving this winter for Ferrari after a dozen years with the Silver Arrows.

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Hamilton’s 2024 stands in stark contrast to his former success at Mercedes, where the champion struggled to extract pace from the W15 and was often bested by team-mate George Russell in qualifying.

Regardless of this year’s results, the 39-year-old leaves behind a incredible legacy within the team, where he acquired six world titles and aided them to eight constructors’ championships.

Lewis Hamilton leaves behind an incredible legacy at Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton recently embarked on a farewell tour at Mercedes

Toto Wolff reflects on Lewis Hamilton’s time at Mercedes

The 2016 season was defined by several controversial moments between the pair, including collisions in Austria and Spain as they vied for the championship.

In a recent appearance on the Beyond the Grid podcast, team principal Toto Wolff reflected on their rivalry and Rosberg’s championship victory, where he revealed that Hamilton discussed a possible exit following the title loss.

“The championship was pretty much resolved, and rather than leaving the two out there to race each other, and even if that meant bunching into the traffic, we tried to make it super correct, and he was upset about that,” Wolff said.

“[We] spent, I don’t know, many, many hours together discussing the situation.

“And I said to him, do you want to continue with Mercedes? And he said yes.

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton's time as team-mates was fraught with controversy

“I said, ‘Well, I couldn’t imagine anybody else having you in the car. So if we decide here that this is a mutual wish of ours, we need to sort it out.’

“And I think we left that afternoon with a solid bond that then grew from strength to strength.”

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Formula 1 George Russell Toto Wolff