Toto Wolff backs Lewis Hamilton amid his low run with Ferrari, as he rubbishes the Brit’s statements about doubts of continuing in F1.
The last two weekends in Belgium and Hungary didn’t go as per plans for Ferrari’s Hamilton. Even though he managed to recover at Spa, the Hungaroring was not so good, which left him downbeat. In fact, he questioned his stay in F1 and prompted his team to drop him.
It was mostly said in a jest, but it showcased Hamilton’s mood. For his former boss Wolff, it was mostly the Brit showing his raw emotions, since he expects more from himself than anybody else. The Austrian reiterated that Hamilton remains the GOAT, irrespective of down run.
“No, that is Lewis wearing his heart on his sleeve,” said Wolff, when asked about Hamilton’s say on leaving. “It’s what he thought very much when he was asked after the session was very raw. He was doubting himself, and we had it in the past. When he felt that he had underperformed his own expectations, and the team had its own goal, he’s been that emotional, emotionally transparent since he was a young boy, a young adult.
“So, he’s going to beat himself up. He’s the GOAT. And he will always be the GOAT, and nobody’s going to take that away. For sure, no single weekend or race season that hasn’t gone to plan. That’s something he needs to always remember – that he’s the Greatest Of All Time,” summed up Wolff, who noted that Hamilton has unfinished business still in F1, with the aim of eighth title.
He hasn’t done well in the current era of F1, but all eyes are on the changes to come in 2026. Wolff believes if Ferrari can provide the car, then there’s no stopping Hamilton. “Lewis has unfinished business in Formula 1,” continued Wolff. “In the same way that Mercedes underperformed over this latest set of regulations since 2022, he kind of never got happy with ground effect cars, in the same way, it beats him.
“Maybe it’s linked to driving style. So, he shouldn’t go anywhere. Next year, brand new cars, completely different to drive, new power units that need an intelligent way of managing the energy. So, that’s absolutely on for Lewis, and I hope he stays on for many more years, and certainly next year is going to be an important one.
“If he has a car underneath him, which he has confidence in, and which does what he wants, then yes. If he has a car which isn’t giving him the feedback that he wants – like the Mercedes of the past few years or the Ferrari which seems to be worse – then not. But you ask me if he still has it? He definitely has it,” summed up Wolff.
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