Susie Wolff reveals Toto Wolff’s private reaction to Lewis Hamilton’s surprise move to Ferrari

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Lewis Hamilton stunned the world with the news that he would swap silver for red in 2025, and Susie Wolff has revealed how Toto Wolff reacted to the news in private.

The seven-time world champion had laid roots at the Brackley-based factory of the Mercedes F1 team over the 12 years he spent as a star driver for the German constructor.

Winning six world titles under the leadership of Toto Wolff, the partnership looked to have been so formidable that many thought the British driver might just see out the rest of his career at Mercedes and retire as a Silver Arrow.

However, following the highly controversial way in which the 2021 championship was snatched from Hamilton’s grasp, he has been on the hunt to enter uncharted territory and become the first eight-time world champion in F1’s history.

That led him to Maranello as Hamilton signed for Ferrari one year in advance of his highly anticipated debut with the team in 2025, stunning the entire world of motorsport in the process.

READ MORE: Susie Wolff shares what she thinks Lewis Hamilton doesn’t get ‘enough credit for’ in Formula 1

Susie Wolff reveals Toto Wolff’s private reaction to Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes exit

Wolff felt like Hamilton was an integral part of Mercedes during his highly successful stint with the team, so you can understand why the move to one of the German constructor’s main rivals on the grid may have wounded the CEO and team principal.

However, speaking on an episode of the Road to Success podcast, Susie Wolff recalled her husband’s stoic response to the deal, also highlighting his reaction to the events of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

After that fateful day was brought up, Wolff quickly said, “Let’s not go back to Abu Dhabi ’21. I try and not go back there.”

Podcast host Benedict Fowler then switched the attention to the aftermath, asking if the former Williams F1 test driver had learned anything about herself.

She replied, “Definitely, I was so upset, and not because Max [Verstappen] won, he was a deserving champion. It’s nothing against Max; it was the way that it happened. The fact that Lewis was so deserving on that day.

“He was the better driver; he was winning that race. So, it really upset me. But Toto’s really good about getting his emotions in check quite quickly.

“Even when Lewis left for Ferrari, I got upset quite quickly as to how it was done. But he said, ‘We’re going to be okay. We’re going to be friends with Lewis, and this is all going to be okay. Just give it time.’

“He’s really good at always seeing the bigger picture and not allowing his emotions to overrun.”

READ MORE: Susie Wolff reveals the ‘pivotal’ role Christian Horner played in her career after retiring from racing

Lewis Hamilton’s debut season at Ferrari hasn’t quite gone to plan

Hamilton’s switch from Mercedes to Ferrari looked like a masterstroke after the chequered flag fell at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Despite missing out on their first constructors’ championship since 2008 by 14 points, the Scuderia looked like their trajectory was taking them to a hotly contested title fight in 2025 with the Brit racing alongside Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton is yet to score a podium in Ferrari colours, something that has led him to claim the unwanted record for the most amount of race entries for the Prancing Horse without a top-three Grand Prix finish.

After a notably frustrating first half of the season for the 40-year-old, things have looked to have turned around in recent race weekends.

Taking into account the pressure that comes with being a driver for the iconic Italian racing outfit, former Ferrari test driver Esteban Gutierrez issued a ‘not as bad as it looks’ verdict on Hamilton’s maiden season with the team.

Now an ambassador for Mercedes, the Mexican noted that he expects a step up from the star next year.