Toto Wolff has revealed Lewis Hamilton’s departure announcement made it difficult to bring in a successor.
The seven-time Formula One world champion joined Mercedes in 2013, winning 82 grands prix and earned six of his seven world titles since.
Hamilton dropped a huge bombshell at the start of the year as he opted to trigger an escape clause in his contract for the end of the 2024 season. He will be racing with Ferrari for the foreseeable.
And Mercedes chief Wolff has revealed his search for a Hamilton replacement was made harder given he had little time to react to the Brit’s decision.
Relaying the situation in Mercedes’ new book, ‘Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane’, he said: “I had it on my radar Lewis would go.
“I couldn’t understand why he’d change to another team before we knew if we were going to be competitive.
“It also didn’t give me time to react. I possibly missed out on negotiating with other drivers who signed deals a few weeks earlier, like [Charles] Leclerc and [Lando] Norris.”
Fernando Alonso was reportedly contacted, but the Spaniard opted to pledge his future to Aston Martin.
Moves for Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz were also mooted, but these options didn’t materialise either.
Despite this, Wolff insists he isn’t holding a grudge against Hamilton.
He continued: “But do I take that personally? This was just a business decision.
“We’ve enjoyed such a successful journey together, now we have our own objectives.
“This didn’t even move the needle for me. I’m thick-skinned. I’ve had some pretty tough moments in my life and this doesn’t compare.”
Hamilton has offered his own take on that meeting at Wolff’s home in Oxford.
The Brit explained: “It was the hardest meeting I’ve ever had. I needed to do it in person because that’s what integrity is all about.
“But I knew it would be difficult. Ultimately, as humans, we’re hurt when things end. But I also know that our friendship goes beyond business.
“That’s how I view it and I hope Toto does, too.”
