Toto Wolff has affirmed that Lewis Hamilton “will always be the greatest” despite the challenges the seven-time World Champion is currently facing at Ferrari or may encounter in the future.
Following Lewis Hamilton’s candid self-criticism during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Toto Wolff shared his perspective on the British driver, emphasizing that Hamilton remains “the greatest of all time.”
The 40-year-old driver was in the spotlight throughout the weekend at the Hungaroring after reacting to his elimination in Q2 by calling himself “absolutely useless” and suggesting that Ferrari “probably should consider a different driver.”
Furthermore, after starting and finishing the race in twelfth place, Lewis Hamilton admitted he was looking forward to the summer break, expressing the need to “switch off and recharge” before returning to competition.
Of course, the question was posed to the Team Principal of Hamilton’s former team regarding his reaction to the British driver’s self-criticism. Wolff showed his unwavering support for Hamilton, asserting that the driver should remain in Formula 1 “for many more years.”
Wolff’s statements
When asked how he responded to Lewis Hamilton’s comments following the Hungarian weekend, the Mercedes Team Principal stated: “This is Lewis speaking from the heart.”
“He genuinely meant what he said when asked after the session. It was very raw and emotional. He doubted himself,” Toto Wolff added. “We’ve seen this before when he felt he wasn’t meeting his own expectations. He has always been emotionally transparent, ever since he was a teenager and a young adult. So, he tends to be self-critical.”
The 53-year-old then praised the seven-time World Champion: “He is the greatest of all time and always will be, and no one can take that away from him. Certainly, a single weekend or a season that doesn’t go as planned cannot diminish that. He must always remember this: he is the greatest of all time.”
Lewis Hamilton’s unfinished business
The Austrian executive and the British champion worked together at Mercedes from 2013 to 2024, a period that yielded six of Hamilton’s seven World Championships, after his first title with McLaren in 2008.
Hamilton came close to claiming an eighth title during the fiercely contested 2021 season, which ultimately saw Max Verstappen triumph in controversial circumstances at the final Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi.
According to Toto Wolff, the seven-time World Champion still has “unfinished business” in Formula 1, and he believes the next season will be crucial for Hamilton.
The 53-year-old explained: “Lewis has unfinished business in F1. Just as Mercedes struggled with performance under the new regulations from 2022 and was never satisfied with the ground-effect cars, he has been affected by that as well.”
“Perhaps it’s linked to his driving style. He shouldn’t go anywhere next year. Brand-new cars, completely different to drive, new power units requiring intelligent energy management,” Wolff added.
“For Lewis, this is absolutely a positive thing, and I hope he remains in the sport for many more years. Surely, next year will be important.”
When asked if he believes Hamilton can still win an eighth World Championship, the Mercedes Team Principal expressed confidence in his former driver.
He stated: “I think that if he has a car he trusts, one that responds the way he wants, then yes. If he has a car that doesn’t give him the feedback he desires—which was the case with Mercedes in recent years and now seems even more challenging with Ferrari—then no. But if you ask me whether he has the ability… he absolutely does,” Toto Wolff concluded.
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