Toto Wolff has shared how guidance from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola influenced his response to Lewis Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari.
The shock announcement that Hamilton would leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025 broke just before the 2024 season in February, with the British driver activating a break clause in the contract he signed in the summer of 2023.
Hamilton, who had previously indicated plans to stay with Mercedes until retirement, will be succeeded by Italian rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Wolff noted that Carlos Sainz Sr had discreetly informed him of the move, as his son was set to lose his seat to make room for Hamilton.
Reflecting on his response, Wolff recalled a conversation with Guardiola, one of the most accomplished football managers, with a record of 39 trophies across his career with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City.
“I think if someone decides to go, then you need to let them go,” Wolff told the High Performance Podcast.
“I had a chat with Pep Guardiola a long time ago, he is a friend. I said: ‘What do you do if this or that player leaves?’ and he said: ‘What do you mean?’, I said: ‘Well, do you try and convince them to stay?’
“‘No, if somebody thinks he can play better elsewhere or earn more, you’ve just got to let them go. It is something I embrace in the same way here, if somebody wants to go, then let’s make it as good as possible for each of the parties, so it then becomes about what happens next.” Guardiola replied.
For Wolff, Mercedes losing Hamilton was far from a cause for alarm. “I had much worse in my life happening, like real drama and trauma,” he said. “This is not even moving the needle. Now, Lewis is a friend and will forever be a friend. We’ve had 12 years in the team together. So that was just an unusual thought of this is ending, but not challenging in whichever way. So no, that wasn’t a problem. It’s just a new situation.”
“It has risks and opportunities, risks in the sense of, you know, 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?”
Mercedes acted decisively by promoting teenage talent Kimi Antonelli to a 2025 F1 seat alongside George Russell as Hamilton’s successor.
Read More: Lewis Hamilton’s First Ferrari Car to be a 2022 Model
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
