Toto Wolff claims Lewis Hamilton cleared ’emotional burden’ by informing Ferrari move over a cup of coffee

Lewis Hamilton shocked the sporting world by announcing his departure from Mercedes in favor of Scuderia Ferrari for 2025. The seven-time world champion informed the Silver Arrows before the start of the 2024 season. Now, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff revealed the reason for Hamilton’s decision for the early announcement.

Wolff recalled that Lewis Hamilton came to have coffee with the 52-year-old before the start of the season. The Austrian billionaire claimed that it was a normal activity for the two after a long winter break. As Hamilton and Toto Wolff did not get to talk a lot when the season was off.

He [Lewis Hamilton] came back and said, can we have a coffee? He came for the coffee, that’s the normal thing we’re doing when the season kicks off.

Toto Wolff told Fox Sports Australia

However, the seven-time world champion surprised the Mercedes team boss. Lewis Hamilton informed Wolff that he was going to join Ferrari in 2025. The Austrian billionaire asked if the 39-year-old was actually leaving for Maranello.

He said, ‘I’m leaving to Ferrari’. And I said, ‘really?’

Wolff continued

Moreover, Toto Wolff mentioned that he asked Hamilton why he informed about his move at the start of the 2024 season. The 52-year-old revealed that the Briton did not want to have an emotional burden during his final stint with the Silver Arrows.

I said, ‘why at the beginning of the season?’ He said he just wanted to have it out and not have it as a burden, emotional burden.

Toto Wolff asserted

Toto Wolff admits being in ‘shock and disbelief’ over Lewis Hamilton Ferrari move

The Mercedes team boss confessed that he was in shock and disbelief for a few minutes after Hamilton informed him about his future. However, the 52-year-old highlighted the need to stay pragmatic in the situation. Toto Wolff asked Lewis Hamilton about how the announcement of his exit should be made.

And then you got to stay pragmatic after five minutes [of] shock and disbelief it was like, ‘okay what are we doing announcement, what are we doing going forward into the season?’

Wolff noted

Hamilton admitted that things could be tricky for the Silver Arrows. The seven-time world champion acknowledged that there had been leaks to the media about his Ferrari deal. Subsequently, Wolff did not have much options rather than to announce Lewis Hamilton’s departure right away.

And he said, ‘well the announcement is a tricky thing because I think it’s leaking’, so it didn’t give me lots of options.

Toto Wolff stated

Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff have continued to share a great relationship despite the former’s decision to leave the team. The two aimed to end things on a high note in their decade long journey at the Silver Arrows. However, Hamilton has labeled 2024 as his worst start to an F1 season amidst Mercedes’ continued performance slump.

In case you missed it:

• Martin Brundle reminds Fernando Alonso that he caused a “huge amount of costly damage” to Mercedes at the Australian GP
• Toto Wolff claims Ferrari Red “doesn’t suit” Lewis Hamilton

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