Wolff opens up on relationship with Hamilton after Mercedes exit

Mercedes CEO and team principal Toto Wolff has opened up on his relationship with seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton after he left the team for Ferrari for the 2025 season.

Hamilton decided to part ways with the Brackley outfit after a 12-year stint which resulted in six of his seven world championship titles. After building a close friendship with the British driver, Wolff explained during an appearance on the Bloomberg Hot Pursuit podcast that despite "fighting hard on track," the pair remain close friends.

"You always have to miss a person like Lewis Hamilton," Wolff explained. "And as you say, we're still close friends. We've given our word to each other that we will stay close friends.

"We're fighting hard on track, with the gloves off, because we need to fight for our respective teams - and that’s the kind of rule we have. But off track, we spend time with each other, we travel together, and I don't want to miss the friend that I've had for so many years.

"It’s the longest driver-team relationship in Formula 1 - 12 years. You rarely see that in any other sport. And when it comes to developing the car, obviously he has a lot of experience. He’s seen it all, and replacing someone like Lewis Hamilton is always going to be difficult."

Since joining Ferrari alongside Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc, Hamilton has struggled to adapt to his new Italian machinery. He currently sits sixth in the drivers' standings with 79 points. Wolff discussed Hamilton's current battle and insisted that "you don't unlearn driving that quickly."

"I fully agree with that," he responded when co-host Hannah Elliott stated that anyone would be foolish to ever count Hamilton out.  "You don’t unlearn driving that quickly. In 2021, he was great. Then the regulations changed, and it got a little more difficult, but he was still performing at a very high level.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1st position, and Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes AMG, celebrate after the race

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

"Just by changing teams, suddenly you don't lose your skills. Everybody needs a period of adaptation - different car, different DNA in how the vehicle drives, a new engineering team that you need to start working together. Then you have to be involved in the continuous development of the car so it suits your driving style.

"It’s an all-Italian team, and he’s a British guy parachuted in there - and that takes time.

"Also, we've seen a bit of a pattern that Lewis, at the beginning of the season, needs to find his mojo and the second half of the season has always been very strong. So, don’t ever write Lewis Hamilton off."