Toto Wolff has no doubts: despite Lewis Hamilton’s early struggles at Ferrari, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion will soon return to his best form. Interviewed during the Miami Grand Prix weekend, the Mercedes team principal reiterated his full confidence in the talent of his former protégé, who is currently adapting to the new environment in Maranello.
“We saw his magic in the Shanghai Sprint Race. He absolutely dominated,” Toto Wolff recalled. “It’s not like the magic is there in one race and then disappears in the next. I’m convinced it’s still all there.”
Why will Lewis Hamilton win, but we need to wait?
Hamilton left Mercedes at the end of 2024 after 12 seasons, 6 world titles, and an era of success. His move to Scuderia Ferrari shook the paddock and brought high expectations, but so far the Briton has alternated flashes of brilliance with difficult weekends, as he himself has admitted.
“He’s still searching for the perfect alignment between feeling, setup, and car,” Wolff explained. “But as soon as he finds it, he’ll be stellar. I have no doubt.”
The Austrian manager also pointed out that the process is entirely natural: “After 12 years together, Lewis knew exactly how everything worked at Mercedes. Now he’s in a new environment, with a teammate like Charles Leclerc who has been at Ferrari for years and is one of the best drivers on the grid. It takes time.”
With Lewis Hamilton’s departure, Mercedes entrusted technical and sporting leadership to George Russell, alongside rookie Kimi Antonelli. Toto Wolff gave a positive assessment of the new internal setup: “George has grown a lot, he’s now a point of reference. Kimi is like the younger brother, building himself step by step and never panicking.”
“The two work well together. It’s nice to see them collaborate and grow. The atmosphere in the team is excellent, even though of course Lewis will always be part of our family.”
For Hamilton, then, 2025 is proving to be a transitional season, but Toto Wolff is certain he’ll soon rediscover his magic — even in red. And in Maranello, they hope that moment arrives as early as the upcoming European races.
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