Lewis Hamilton surprised the sports world by announcing his departure from Mercedes and his decision to join Scuderia Ferrari for the 2025 F1 season. The seven-time world champion informed Mercedes before the start of the 2024 season, and now the Mercedes team boss has revealed the reason behind Hamilton’s early announcement.
Toto Wolff recalled a meeting with Hamilton before the start of the season, where they had a casual conversation over a cup of coffee. It was a routine activity for them after a long winter break, as they didn’t have many opportunities to talk during the offseason.
During this meeting, Hamilton shocked Wolff by informing him of his plans to join Ferrari in 2025. The Mercedes team boss asked if this was true, expressing his surprise at the news.
Wolff also questioned Hamilton about why he chose to announce his move at the beginning of the 2024 season. Hamilton explained that he didn’t want to carry the emotional burden of his imminent departure during his final stint with Mercedes.
Although Wolff was initially shocked and incredulous, he emphasized the importance of being practical in a situation like this. He asked Hamilton how the announcement of his departure should be handled.
Hamilton acknowledged that the situation could be challenging for Mercedes, as there were already leaks to the media about his deal with Ferrari. Therefore, the team had no choice but to immediately announce his departure.
Despite Hamilton’s decision to leave the team, he and Wolff maintained a strong relationship. Both aim to end their decade-long journey at Mercedes on a positive note. However, Hamilton described the start of the 2024 season as the worst, as Mercedes continues to face performance issues.
