Taking inspiration from the mindset of Pep Guardiola, Toto Wolff knew that when Lewis Hamilton wanted to join Ferrari, he should let him.

Hamilton and Wolff both joined Mercedes in 2013, as the team from the following year embarked on a record-breaking run of eight consecutive Constructors’ titles, Hamilton winning six of his record-equalling seven World Championship titles in that time. But, this union is approaching its end.

Toto Wolff did not try to talk Lewis Hamilton out of Ferrari move

Before the F1 2024 campaign began, the bombshell announcement came that Hamilton had signed with Ferrari from F1 2025, and during an appearance on the High Performance podcast, Wolff was asked if he at any point tried to talk Hamilton out of it.

“No,” he replied. “I think that was a situation which I wanted to just see how it was happening and leave it to him and to Fred [Vasseur, Ferrari team principal] to tell me that they were doing this.”

Wolff explained that his stance of not trying to convince Hamilton to stay came from a past conversation with current Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who is considered one of the greatest football managers of all t

ime with multiple Champions League and Premier League titles among his list of honours.

Pressed again on whether he put any energy at all into trying to keep Hamilton at Mercedes, Wolff replied: “No.

“I think if someone decides to go, then you need to let them go.

“I had a chat with Pep Guardiola a long time ago, and he’s a friend. I said, ‘What do you do if this and that player leaves?’ And he said, ‘What do you mean I do?’ I Said, ‘Well, do you try to convince them to stay?’ ‘No. If somebody thinks he can play elsewhere better or earns more, then you’ve just got to let them go.’

“And it is something that I embrace in the same way here. If somebody wants to go, then let’s make it as good as possible for each of the parties.”

And for Wolff, Mercedes losing Hamilton was not panic stations, far from it.

“I had much worse in my life happening, like real drama and trauma,” he said. “This is not even moving the needle.

“Now, Lewis is a friend and will forever be a friend. We’ve had 12 years in the team together. So that was just an unusual thought of this is ending, but not challenging in whichever way. So no, that wasn’t a problem. It’s just a new situation.

“It has risks and opportunities, risks in the sense of, you know, how do I inform the sponsors as quickly as possible? Because it was leaking. And on the other side, what are we doing about next year?”

And Mercedes have made that decision, having promoted teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli to an F1 2025 seat alongside George Russell as Hamilton’s replacement.