When season six of Drive to Survive was released back in February, Toto Wolff was seen on screens around the world saying he couldn’t imagine Lewis Hamilton in red.
Well, red is what the Briton will be wearing next season having announced he’s leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari for the 2025 championship.
Toto Wolff reminded about ‘can’t imagine Hamilton in red’ comment
Lewis Hamilton broke the internet on February 1 with the shock confirmation after 24 hours of whispers that he had signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari.
The Briton informed Wolff over a cup of coffee on the Wednesday, with the press release going out the next day.
Three weeks later, season six of Drive to Survive had Wolff on camera saying he couldn’t imagine Hamilton in red.
But reminded of that in a recent interview with the Independent, Wolff said: “That is what he said to me. He said he was going to stay and then he decided to go.
“But people change their minds and circumstances change and you have to respect that. Today’s opinion might be different tomorrow and I have no hard feelings.”
So much so the Austrian, who has been Hamilton’s team boss since 2013, believes his soon-to-be former driver can finally win that record-breaking eighth World title with Ferrari.
And Wolff is likely to be one of the first to offer his congratulations if that moment comes.
“If Ferrari is able to give Lewis a competitive car, he can win a World Championship, there is no doubt about that,” he continued.
“I will always have a personal relationship with Lewis and I will look back at the great times, professionally and personally.
“When Lewis moves to Ferrari he becomes a competitor but I will always wish him happy days.”
More on Lewis Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari
This isn’t the first time that Wolff has stated Hamilton told him he would be a Mercedes driver “forever”.
Speaking in the aftermath of February’s announcement, the team boss said: “I think it was difficult for him to really tell me because he left for the Christmas holiday and was Mercedes forever.
“Normally that’s a time where we don’t speak a lot because he’s gone, because otherwise we’re speaking every day.
“And then he came back and said, can we have a coffee? He came for the coffee, that’s the normal thing we’re doing when the season kicks off, and he said, ‘I’m leaving to Ferrari’. And I said, ‘really?’”
Even then with the words ringing in his ears, Wolff could “not imagine him in red. I don’t think it suits him, but I think that picture is going to be interesting.”
Hamilton’s decision to leave Mercedes will call time on their 12-year partnership that has so far included six Drivers’ Championship titles and 82 Grand Prix wins, as well as eight Constructors’ crowns.