Wolff on Hamilton joining Ferrari: 'It's like seeing your ex with a new friend for the first time'

For many, the first photos of Lewis Hamilton à Maranello wearing the red jumpsuit and the Prancing Horse badge over his heart still seem unreal. For many, the Briton's move to Ferrari is still as crazy, still as historic, still as exceptional. For many, seeing the seven-time world champion leave Mercedes remains incredible, even a year after the official announcement of February 1, 2024. Toto wolff may be one of those people, so strong was the affection he had for his now former pilot. Perhaps he too still finds it hard to believe, but the Austrian leader seems to have come to terms with it.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 at the Autosport Awards ceremony, held in London this week, Toto Wolff gave his first reaction regarding the arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari. "It's a bit like if you got an amicable divorce and everything was going well, then you see your ex-partner with a new friend for the first time, laughs the Mercedes Team Principal. But I'm really happy for him, and I told him those photos [with Ferrari] were iconic. It was so well done, and it's no surprise to Lewis!"

An Italian at Mercedes, a Briton at Ferrari…

Lewis Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, was also present at this ceremony... and he too reacted to the first days of his predecessor within the Scuderia. As an Italian driver, the young rookie necessarily has a slightly different eye to that of his boss. "It's a bit weird, because it's a bit controversial that an Italian driver goes to Mercedes, and an English driver goes to Ferrari, Antonelli emphasizes. I am very happy with my position. There is a lot of expectation around me, because there is a new Italian on the grid. And then, of course, it is an incredible thing that a personality like Lewis joins Ferrari. I think that during the Italian Grand Prix there will be a lot of excitement around us!

While Ferrari continues private testing as part of the TPC program, Mercedes is focusing on preparing for the 2025 season. The Silver Arrows will try to optimize the winter period as much as possible by presenting its W16 as late as possible, on February 24, two days before the start of winter testing in Bahrain. After a mixed 2024 campaign, the German team wants to return to the top before the switch to the new 2026 regulations.

“We racked our brains a lot last year, especially at the beginning. Like all the other teams, we had our ups and downs. We had some very dominant performances in Las Vegas and then some other races that weren’t as good. But at the end of the day, we’ll see in qualifying [for the first Grand Prix] in Melbourne where we stand.”, relativizes Toto Wolff before the start of the 2025 season.

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