Wolff's first clue on Hamilton's move to Ferrari came from Sainz Sr.
11/08/2024 12:23 PM
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff recently opened up about how he first got wind of Lewis Hamilton's shocking decision to join Ferrari for the 2025 season, thanks to an unexpected tip-off from a rather unusual source: Carlos Sainz Sr.
While Hamilton formally announced his departure to Wolff in January, Wolff was already suspicious that a big change might be in the air.
According to the Austrian, the initial hint came through a phone call from Sainz Sr., whose son was on the verge of being replaced by Hamilton at Ferrari for 2025.
Speaking on the latest episode of the High Performance Podcast with Jake Humphrey, Wolff recalled the moment.
"So I heard the bells ringing two weeks before," said Wolff. "Yeah, the old man Sainz called me and said, this is what's happening.
"And then there were a few drivers' dads rang me up that didn't before. So I thought, Okay…there's something going on there."
Sensing the rumors gaining momentum, Wolff took matters into his own hands by reaching out to Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur to get some clarity on Hamilton's status.
"I sent a text to [Ferrari boss] Fred Vasseur saying: 'You're taking our driver?' Didn't get any response. Very unusual for Fred. He's a good friend. So yeah, I saw it coming."
Wolff recalled that when Hamilton finally made the trip to his house in early January, the mood was tinged with the anticipation of something serious.
As they exchanged their usual pleasantries about the holiday season, Wolff decided to make a strategic opening move in the conversation by sharing some news of his own, revealing that Mercedes had just brought on former Ferrari chief designer Simone Resta.
"When Lewis arrived in the house, like he did so many years before, we had a bit of a small talk, like we always do about the Christmas holidays and all of that," explained Wolff.
"Then I said, "Well, we're recruiting from Ferrari now. We got this guy." And Lewis was, "Oh, there's something I need to tell you." And yeah, when he said that, that initial moment was a little bit of... so this is really happening?"
©Mercedes
When Hamilton's Ferrari deal was made public, it instantly became one of the most unexpected developments in recent Formula 1 history.
Wolff, however, remained surprisingly calm, despite the gravity of the situation.
"Well, I had much worse in my life happening, like real drama and trauma," he noted. "This is not even moving the needle."
The transition presented both risks and opportunities, he explained, especially when it came to Mercedes' immediate and future planning.
"It's just a new situation. It has risks and opportunities, risks in the sense of how do I inform the sponsors as quickly as possible? Because it was leaking... And on the other side, what are we doing about next year?"
Despite the high stakes, Wolff said he felt no inclination to try to persuade Hamilton to stay, taking a pragmatic approach he'd once discussed with Manchester City's famed manager Pep Guardiola.
"I think if someone decides to go, then you need to let them go," he said.
"I had a chat with Pep Guardiola a long time ago, and he is a friend. I said, 'What do you do if this and that player leaves?'
"And he said, 'What do you mean I do?' I said, 'Well, do you try to convince them to stay?' He said: 'No, if somebody thinks he can play elsewhere better or earns more — you have just got to let them go.'
"And it is something that I embrace in the same way here. Somebody wants to go — then let's make it as good as possible for each of the parties."
For Wolff, the episode was simply part of the ever-evolving nature of Formula 1. And with Hamilton's decision finalized, Mercedes now faces a critical period of adjustment as it maps out a new direction for the future, even as one of the most storied partnerships in the sport prepares to come to an end.
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