“When the driving ends, there’s going to be plenty of adventures we’re going to embark on” : Toto Wolff leaves door open for future reunion with Lewis Hamilton
Toto Wolff has left the door open for a future collaboration with Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time F1 champion ended his 10 year stint with the Silver Arrows this month, as he now moves to Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton will now be seen driving alongside Charles Leclerc for at least the next two seasons, as he continues his quest to win a record eighth title.
Toto Wolff stated that Lewis Hamilton will always remain a part of the Mercedes family. The Austrian is also open to working with the veteran driver after his stint with Ferrari. He believes that the duo will embark on several adventures together in the future, as he hints at working together post Hamilton’s retirement from racing.
“There is no such thing in an end to the relationship that Mercedes has with Lewis, neither what we as a team have nor I and Susie [Wolff, wife] personally. On the contrary. I think Lewis has decided to do something else for the last part of his career, which I understand – or I can understand – but he’s always going to be part of that family and always welcome in the family,” said Wolff.
“And one day, maybe when the driving ends, there’s going to be plenty of adventures we’re going to embark on,” he added.
Toto Wolff applauds Niki Lauda’s effort in bringing Lewis Hamilton to Mercedes
Toto Wolff acknowledged the efforts of Niki Lauda in bringing Lewis Hamilton to Mercedes. The former driver took a huge effort in persuading the Briton to join the Silver Arrows after spending several years with McLaren.
“Without Niki, there wouldn’t be any Lewis with Mercedes. I think Niki was so persistent in trying to convince him to join Mercedes and, particularly, he just scored the goal with him on that Sunday night in Singapore, where Lewis DNF’d with the McLaren and convinced him to join the team,” Wolff added.
Toto Wolff stated that Niki Lauda was never given enough credit for his effort in persuading Lewis Hamilton. He also revealed that the former three-time champion acted as a good mediator between the team and Lewis Hamilton.
The Austrian also mentioned that Lewis Hamilton was more like a team member at Mercedes rather than just a contracted driver. The Ferrari bound driver won six titles during his 11-year reign at the Silver Arrows, winning four back to back titles from 2017 to 2020.
“I’m not sure Niki was ever given enough credit for that. Took no prisoners – what’s the salary you want? – and convinced the board of Mercedes to do this. Niki was always a very good liaison between the team and Lewis in the first few years, because he was talking as a three-time World Champion and had the respect of Lewis. “Eventually it became the three of us and the whole team became one,” he added.
“We sometimes call drivers contractors: they come, you pay them well, if they don’t have the right car anymore and they’re getting paid well somewhere else, they leave. Lewis changed from a contractor to team member and that was because everybody else just embraced the notion of the team that we had then.”
