Wolff expects 'new Mercedes era' with Hamilton's departure
F1 News
Just as February began in 2024, it was announced: Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025. After a long period at Mercedes, together with Toto Wolff, the Austrian team principal now has to fill the hole left by the seven-time world champion.
Replacing a world champion that won six drivers' titles and another eight constructors' championships is never easy, but Lewis Hamilton now only has 10 Grands Prix left driving a Mercedes car in Formula One. Moreover, Hamilton is one of the most globally well-known sportspeople. "Lewis is not just a driver, he's an icon - on multiple levels. It's clear for us that Mercedes' F1 team and the sport gets more media coverage just because of Lewis," Toto Wolff told Formula.hu about the importance of having Hamilton at the team also outside of the track.
After not winning a single Grand Prix from the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP until this year's race at Silverstone, the seven-time world champion then went onto claim in P1 at Spa for the second time already in 2024 (as a result of George Russell disqualification). As a result, he is the only multiple time Grand Prix winner this season alongside Max Verstappen.
Wolff mysterious about future
The Mercedes CEO and team principal will miss having the Briton at his team, but answered mysteriously about the team's future. "A new era will start for Mercedes. I don't know yet, who will be the next era's important drivers, and I also can't tell, whether we will as successful as we hope to be."