Sir Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff had an incredible collaboration with the Mercedes F1 team. They joined the German team in the same year, 2013. Moreover, the Wolff-Hamilton combination started the golden era of the Silver Arrows until it ended in 2021. Albeit, they are still part of the same team, the winning streak ended in 2021. Moreover, the seven-time champion racer has been winless since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. But the German team had their last victory in the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix. In 2022, Mercedes had only one victory.
But it was not Lewis Hamilton; instead, the young George Russell won their solitary race that year in his debut season for the German team. There were signs that it was time for Hamilton to find a new challenge sooner than later. He is not getting any younger. Last month, he turned 39. As a result, Lewis Hamilton decided to end his collaboration with Mercedes. From 2025, after turning 40, Hamilton will don the iconic red uniform and race for Ferrari. It has been his childhood dream. But the Ferrari team principal recalls his call with Toto Wolff as a “Difficult one.”
Fred Vasseur His Difficult Calls To Sainz And Wolff
Lewis Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz Jr. in 2025. Recently, Ferrari extended the contract of Charles Leclerc for several years. Hence, Fred Vasseur had to make two “Difficult” calls after confirming it with Hamilton. He called Carlos Sainz Jr. and Toto Wolff to let them know about the signing. At the launch of the SF-24, the new Ferrari challenger for the upcoming season, Fred Vasseur, said bringing in Hamilton is a “Huge Opportunity” for the team’s future. He spoke for the first time publicly about signing the seven-time champion, standing in front of the desk of Enzo Ferrari at the founder’s office in Maranello.
Vasseur mentioned calling Sainz Jr. to let him know that they are jettisoning him was not the “Easiest call of my life.” But calling Toto Wolff about Hamilton’s signing was “The most difficult call.” Anyway, Fred Vasseur always had a close relationship with Lewis Hamilton. When Hamilton won the F3 title in 2005, Vasseur was his team principal. Later, Vasseur was also the boss at ART when Hamilton won the GP2 title. Since then, the friendship they maintained was an important factor in bringing Hamilton to the Italian team, Ferrari boss told the media, including The Guardian.
In 2024, The Wolff-Hamilton Era Will End And Make Way For The New Vasseur-Hamilton Era Beginning Next Year
Toto Wolff said Hamilton caught him by surprise when he told him two weeks ago that he would leave them in 2025. It was only August last year when Hamilton signed a two-year contract extension with Mercedes. But then again, he had to do what’s best for him. Hamilton hopes to adapt to the Ferrari style in 2025. And then, from 2026, with new regulations, Lewis Hamilton hopes to start a new winning streak with the Italian team.
Moreover, Charles Leclerc revealed that he knew about the discussions about signing Hamilton for a while. The Monacesque driver mentioned this type of signing doesn’t happen overnight. Hence, he knew about it before he signed his extension with Ferrari. He is looking forward to what Hamilton will be bringing to the table and learning a lot from him.
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