Toto Wolff admits Lewis Hamilton’s exit will impact Mercedes commercially as he is the ‘biggest personality’ in F1

Lewis Hamilton has acted as the face of the Mercedes F1 team for almost 13 seasons.

Toto Wolff admits Lewis Hamilton’s exit will impact Mercedes commercially as he is the ‘biggest personality’ in F1

Toto Wolff [L] Lewis Hamilton [R] (images via IMAGO)

Lewis Hamilton will move to Scuderia Ferrari in 2025. The seven-time world champion decided to end his long-standing partnership with Mercedes this year after two difficult seasons. The 39-year-old was one of the most important assets of the Silver Arrows on and off track. Now, Team Principal Toto Wolff has acknowledged the commercial ramifications of this move.

Toto Wolff claimed that he was aware of the impact Mercedes would face commercial due to his move to the Scuderia. The Austrian billionaire highlighted that Lewis Hamilton was not only the most successful driver in the sport but even the most popular F1 personality outside of the paddock. The Brackley-based team lost Hamilton’s long-time sponsor Monster Energy to McLaren before the start of the 2024 season.

[Lewis Hamilton] is not only the most successful driver on track but also the biggest personality amongst all the F1 drivers outside of Formula 1.
Toto Wolff said, as reported by @fiagirly/X
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However, Toto Wolff assured that the Silver Arrows will make an exciting decision on Lewis Hamilton’s replacement. The Mercedes team boss mentioned that commercially things only work for a team when it wins races and championships along with the personality of its drivers.

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But I’m sure whatever decision we take moving forward will be an exciting one... Commercially things work when you win races and championships, and you bring in a good personality.
Toto Wolff continued

Toto Wolff claims there are ‘few good personalities around’ for Lewis Hamilton’s seat

The Silver Arrows need to find the ideal replacement to fill the shoes of the seven-time world champion. 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli was rumored to be on the list previously. However, since then Toto Wolff has opened the door for four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel to return to F1 with Mercedes next season.

Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton
Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton (Via: Imago)

Wolff claimed that there were a few good personalities available on the driver market who could replace Lewis Hamilton. Although, the 52-year-old did not name any driver. The Austrian billionaire highlighted that the Silver Arrows needed to give their drivers a car capable of winning the title next season which would lead to commercial success for the team.

There’s a few good personalities around, we just need to give them a car where they’d be able to win a championship.
Toto Wolff asserted

Mercedes will take its time to consider all options before announcing Lewis Hamilton’s replacement. The Silver Arrows could form a strong driver line-up if they sign someone like Sebastian Vettel to partner George Russell. However, the Brackley-based team would need to make a decision based on the long-term future of the team.

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