Mercedes F1 and its Team Principal Toto Wolff are ready to move on following the departure of seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton from the team.
A dream come true
The experienced British driver had announced a prestigious move to Ferrari last year, and has now had his on-track debut. In fact, Hamilton had his first test runs with the Italian Scuderia in the past weeks, with a Fiorano outing and two in Barcelona including the Pirelli tyre testing.
According to Wolff, it was the right moment for Hamilton to switch as it suits both parties. The Brit’s lifelong dream to join Ferrari has now been fulfilled. On the other hand, Mercedes will embark on a generational journey. Three-time F1 race winner George Russell will have to step up and take on the role of leader and inspiration to his much younger teammate.
Great move for both Wolff and Hamilton
Hamilton’s replacement will be rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has moved up from FRECA in 2023, to Formula 2 in 2024, and now will be driving full time in the top single seaters championship. Wolff discussed how the move will suit both parts better with Sky Sport:
“It was right for both of us. I think when you see Lewis in his first appearances at Ferrari — I mean, this picture in front of Enzo Ferrari’s house is iconic. Lewis with his sense of style….”
“And at the same time, us embarking on a different route, trying to re-invent ourselves with a young driver. In addition to George, because he’s not mentioned enough. We have a senior, accomplished driver that has won races, and this new kid coming up.”
All parts of Mercedes are on the same line as the Austrian Team Principal, agreeing with the fact that it was for the best on both sides, going from the main management and decision makers to new partners such as Adidas:
“And at the same time Lewis doing something on his own, something new, I think it was a refresh for both of us. When I discussed Lewis going and Kimi coming with the CEO, he said, ‘This is so exciting. Let’s go on the next generation!’
“And this is how we feel in the team. We have a strong vibe with the partners that are with us and want to come to the team, so we don’t feel any hangover.”
What is to come in 2025?
Asked on what to expect from the new Mercedes challenger for 2025, Wolff didn’t go into much detail, neither set a goal. In fact, he believes the overall performance of the grid will almost be on the same level. This doesn’t come unexpectedly considering it’s the final year of the current generation of machinery.
“These cars are so complicated to hit the sweet spot. We’ve only done it on a few occasions. We were ultra-dominant in Las Vegas, and then at other tracks, we were unable to contest for a podium.
“So I’d rather not talk too much and see how we can perform in the tests, and see whether we have solved some of those balance issues, get on top of the tyres and then we shall see.”
Something Wolff is absolutely sure about, however, is the potential and talent of his driver lineup as well as championship winning potential, in spite of Hamilton leaving: “George is ready to fight for the championship, we’ve got to provide him and Kimi with a car that is fast enough.”
