"We're big boys" - Toto Wolff on Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes

Mercedes-AMG F1 team principal and CEO Toto Wolff says that while the timing of Lewis Hamilton’s departure was a surprise, it was something he was prepared for at the team.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team boss Toto Wolff with driver Lewis Hamilton. (Sebastian Kawka/Mercedes-AMG Petronas)

“It’s perfectly understandable that he needed a new challenge, that he was looking for a different environment and that it was maybe the last possibility to do something else,” said Wolff at a media day.

“We knew that our partnership would come to an end one day,” he said.

“We thought that was possibly at the end of 2025, so it was still a bit of a surprise. But I hold no grudge.”

“What it means is that our professional relationship comes to an end.

“Our personal relationship will continue though; we have a friendship that we’ve built over the past 10 years.

“Lewis faced a difficult decision of where to drive and I respect the difficulty of the situation that he faced.”

Hamilton has spent 11 years at the Brackley-based team, with six of his seven World Drivers’ Championship titles coming with Mercedes.

Both Hamilton and Wolff stressed that their focus would remain on the 2024 season.

“We have two excellent drivers,” said Wolff.

“We have Lewis in his final year at Mercedes and George eager to get back in the car and perform.”

“Our main objective is to put a car on the track that has more pace than last year's car.

“We know how competitive the grid is and the challenge that is ahead of us.

“But we’re motivated to do our very best to compete.”