Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says he ‘appreciated’ Brit’s resolution to affix Ferrari as he prevented robust second | F1 Information

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says he “likes” that Lewis Hamilton selected to depart the group to affix Ferrari because it prevented him from having to eliminate the seven-time world champion at a later date.

Hamilton surprised the sporting world on the eve of the 2024 season by confirming it will be his final with Mercedes as he signed a multi-year deal to affix the long-lasting Italian squad.

Wolff admitted on the time that he had been blindsided by the transfer – which is able to convey to an finish probably the most profitable driver-team partnership within the sport’s historical past – however says issues over Hamilton’s “shelf life” meant the prospect of getting to drive the Briton out of the group was already on his thoughts.

With simply three races remaining of Hamilton’s twelfth and closing season with the group, Wolff’s feedback have been reported in Mercedes’ new all-access e-book Inside Mercedes F1: Life within the Quick Lane, which adopted the group by their turbulent 2023 marketing campaign and the beginning of 2024.

“I absolutely had it on my radar that Lewis would go,” Wolff instructed the e-book’s creator Matt Whyman.

“I simply could not perceive why he’d change to a different group earlier than we knew if we have been going to be aggressive.

“It additionally did not give me any time to react, I needed to emergency name our companions, and I presumably missed out on negotiating with different drivers who had signed contracts just a few weeks earlier like Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.

“[But] I like the situation. It helps us because it avoids the moment where we need to tell the sport’s most iconic driver that we want to stop.”

Hamilton’s resolution caught many without warning given it got here simply 5 months after he had signed what was publicised as a two-year contract extension with Mercedes, which was later revealed to have had a break clause following the primary yr.

Wolff mentioned the actual fact there was a break clause open to each driver and group exhibits Mercedes have been already open to the thought of Hamilton’s exit coming sooner relatively than later.

“There’s a reason why we only signed a one-plus-one-year contract,” Wolff added.

“We’re in a sport where cognitive sharpness is extremely important, and I believe everyone has a shelf life.”

Wolff initially made a public and chronic pursuit of Pink Bull’s soon-to-be-crowned four-time world champion Max Verstappen, however finally settled for changing Hamilton with Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

The Austrian in contrast the duty of changing Hamilton to these Premier League greats Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola have confronted when regenerating their title-winning squads.

“I need to look at the next generation,” Wolff mentioned.

“It’s the same in football. Managers like Sir Alex Ferguson or Pep Guardiola. They anticipated it in the performance of their top stars and brought in junior players that drove the team for the next years.”

The discharge of the e-book comes simply days after Mercedes insisted they totally anticipate Hamilton to see out his closing three races with the group, after cryptic radio messages following the Sao Paulo Grand Prix led to hypothesis over a attainable early exit.

Hamilton has struggled along with his kind because the sport’s summer season break, failing to say a podium within the final seven rounds after a run of two wins in three races in July.

System 1 returns with the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22-24, stay on Sky Sports activities F1 the place Max Verstappen might seal the championship. Get Sky Sports activities F1 to observe each race and extra stay