Lewis Hamilton left ‘upset’ by Mercedes as Toto Wolff bond ‘weakens’ | F1 | Sport

Lewis Hamilton‘s private relationship with Toto Wolff has reportedly taken a hit following his decision to leave Mercedes at the end of the season. The 39-year-old will join Ferrari on a multi-year contract ahead of the 2025 campaign, bringing an end to the most successful driver-team partnership in F1 history.

Hamilton activated a break clause in his Mercedes contract before the start of the season, allowing him to depart the Silver Arrows a year ahead of schedule. It was reported at the time that he was unhappy about being offered a one-year deal with the option of a further year, as opposed to a longer-term proposal.

Mercedes‘ reluctance to show commitment to Hamilton in recent negotiations left him ‘upset’ with those in power, according to Racer. It is said that when Ferrari came knocking with a multi-year contract, he was attracted by their far greater show of faith in his future.

The report adds that Hamilton’s once-strong bond with Wolff has ‘weakened’ following his decision to race for Ferrari from next season onwards. Wolff is still scrambling to find a replacement for the seven-time world champion, with Mercedes yet to confirm who will partner George Russell in 2025.

Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli has been touted as a future Mercedes driver but has struggled to make an impact in his debut F2 campaign. He currently sits eighth in the standings, having jumped one place after ending his wait for a maiden race victory at Silverstone last weekend.

Carlos Sainz is another name to have been thrown back into the mix after it initially appeared that he was not being considered by Mercedes. The Spaniard, who will leave Ferrari to make way for Hamilton next year, is also said to be a target for the likes of Alpine and Williams.

It remains to be seen how Hamilton will get on at Ferrari, who will be desperate to provide him with a record-breaking eighth world title. Speaking about his decision to leave Mercedes earlier this year, he admitted that it was the toughest choice he has ever had to make.

“It happened very fast,” he told the Chequered Flag podcast. “The opportunity just popped up and I was like: ‘OK, I’ve got to think for a second’. I didn’t have a lot of time to think, I just had to go with my gut feeling and I decided to take the opportunity. It was the hardest decision.

“When I left McLaren it was a very hard decision also because it was like my family, you feel such a part of the family and obviously, I’ve been such a big part of Mercedes and it’s been such a huge part of my life and we’ve achieved so much together.

“The thing is I will always be a Mercedes fan and we’ll always have this incredible history together, even now, after all these years I genuinely always check where McLaren are and I’m always supporting them and that will always be the case for me here also.”