Wolff Points to Leclerc in Hamilton-Ferrari Saga

Toto Wolff suggests Charles Leclerc’s entourage may have sparked rumors of Hamilton’s Ferrari move, fueling last year’s speculation.

Fernando Alonso was among those who picked up the phone to call Toto Wolff when he heard Mercedes F1 might have a vacant seat after the announcement of Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari ten months ago.

The Austrian revisited the rumors that preceded the announcement, before the Brit visited his home to confirm his intention to race in red in 2025. According to Wolff, the leak might have come from Charles Leclerc’s entourage.

“I wasn’t shocked at all about his visit.”

“I can say this, but I already knew… let’s say I suspected it would happen a few weeks earlier when I got a phone call from Carlos Sainz and his father.”

“He said, ‘Something’s brewing.’ I replied, ‘Why would that happen before the season starts?’”

“But that same afternoon, I received calls from a few other drivers. They were all close to Charles Leclerc. And Fernando Alonso too. I think it started when Leclerc found out over the winter, and then his closest circle heard there was a free seat.”

“I told Susie (his wife): ‘This is happening without us officially knowing.’”

“So, I had heard all the rumors that he might leave, but we met at my house in Oxford, and he essentially told me, ‘This is a step I think is good for all of us. It’s good for me to reinvent myself—every driver wants to drive for Ferrari—and it’s good for the Mercedes team too because we’ve been together for 12 years, so maybe we’ll find some sort of renewal.’”

“That’s when he told me for the first time. Of course, it was a bit of a surprise because it was at the start of the season, which is very unusual, but I also think it reflected his sense of fairness in letting me know. It can be awkward during the season, but that’s how we were able to position the team for the coming years without him.”

It is known that Wolff sent a message to Fred Vasseur, which went unanswered. But why didn’t he contact Hamilton directly?

“I didn’t want to put him in a situation where he’d have to lie to me because, at that point, the contract wasn’t signed.”

When Hamilton came to him a few weeks later, unaware that Wolff already knew about the situation, he didn’t realize his boss was fully informed.

“I could see he found it hard to tell me. I thought to myself, ‘Why now? When are we announcing this?’ He replied, ‘Well, it’s leaking.’”

Wolff thus ends a long professional relationship, though he will obviously stay in touch with Hamilton.

“He has been one of the key figures in my professional and personal life over the past 12 years. We joined the team together, but at the same time, we didn’t really know what to expect from each other, and we went through a period of incredible success but also tough moments, as happens in any relationship.”

Wolff admits this spared him a much more difficult conversation with Hamilton, where he might have had to tell his driver he was too old for a contract renewal.

“I would have done it. But it would have been a nightmare for both him and me.”

Hamilton is now officially a Ferrari driver as of January 1.

“There is an emotional side because we’ve been on this journey together. The friendship will change, but not the depth of emotions. On the contrary, it will be a new kind of friendship with Lewis.”

“From a professional standpoint, I still see advantages in this change.”

“We have new regulations, we’ve reshaped our organization, and we are entering a new era with our lead driver (George Russell) turning 27 and our junior driver (Andrea Kimi Antonelli) turning 18.”

“We have two drivers who, combined, are barely older than Lewis. It’s very exciting.”

Wolff concluded with a final message to Hamilton in front of the Mercedes F1 staff.

“The name Lewis Hamilton will remain the greatest for a long time.”

“I will tell my grandchildren to be proud, because I was part of Lewis Hamilton’s journey. And that is something we can all be very proud of.”

“No matter how many years you’ve spent here, whether it’s one month or 12 years like me, including Niki Lauda, we should all pinch ourselves for being part of his journey with Mercedes.”