Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has opened up on his personal relationship with Lewis Hamilton ahead of their professional split at the end of the season.
The pair have worked closely together since Hamilton’s arrival at the Silver Arrows in 2013, and amassed six drivers’ and eight constructors’ championships between 2014-2021.
However, since new regulations in 2022, Mercedes have been outclassed by Red Bull, with Hamilton winless since late 2021.
He jumped at the chance to move to Ferrari for 2025, which came as something of a surprise to Wolff and F1 fans around the world.
The 39-year-old’s exit from what has been an incredibly fruitful partnership was announced in February, but it is still months until the move is officially made.
Wolff admitted he was ‘bruised’ by the move, which came as a shock, even if it was always a possibility.
“And it was happening to fall on the day of earnings, so it was good news.
“Hamilton’s move is, of course, not designed to spite the man with whom he has been able to match the record world title count previously solely achieved by Michael Schumacher.
“I somewhere read a good motto: ‘play hard, forgive quickly and apologise when you’re wrong,’ and the personal relationship doesn’t suffer,” said Wolff.
“If I put myself in his shoes, I can understand that the team wasn’t doing very well.
So, I kind of got my head around it, that why he’s doing that and I have my absolute peace with him and my relationship goes much deeper,” Wolff continued.
“It’s been 12 years we’ve been friends and allies and brothers in crime and he’s going to be competent in the car.
“But, we haven’t divorced as friends,” he added.
