Toto Wolff Hints At Future Collaboration With Lewis Hamilton - 'Plenty Of Adventures'

Saajan Jogia | Dec 30, 2024

Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff / Mercedes Press Image

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has hinted at a future collaboration with Lewis Hamilton after his Ferrari stint, saying that the two are going to embark on 'plenty of adventures' together. The revelation comes amid the seven-time world champion's bombshell move to Ferrari next year in the quest for his eighth championship title.

Wolff and Hamilton maintained a friendly relationship since the start of their 12-year journey in 2013, where Mercedes secured eight Constructors' Championships and Hamilton won six drivers' titles. As the two parted ways after an emotional end to their partnership in Abu Dhabi, Wolff insisted that Hamilton will always remain a part of the Mercedes family and hinted at a collaboration in the future. He said on the Beyond the Grid podcast:

“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.

“And one day, maybe when the driving ends, there’s going to be plenty of adventures we’re going to embark on.”

Wolff acknowledged the role of late Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda in bringing Hamilton into Mercedes from McLaren and creating history. He explained that Hamilton turned from a contractor to a team member at Mercedes. He said:

“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.

“Everything else just followed suit.

“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.

“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.”