Mercedes boss Toto Wolff reveals he rebuked Lewis Hamilton for his recent comments at Ferrari

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed that he rebuked Lewis Hamilton for his comments during the F1 Hungarian GP, where he called on Ferrari to replace him.

The race in Hungary was a low point for Lewis Hamilton as he crashed out in Q2 while his teammate went on to secure pole position. The race day was not much better, as the driver couldn't finish in points while his teammate was fighting for the win.

After qualifying, Lewis Hamilton lashed out in front of the media, where he called on Ferrari to replace him. His mood didn't get much better on Sunday either. Talking to Motorsport, Toto Wolff revealed that he had a discussion with his former driver where he rebuked him for making those comments.

Talking about how you never heard Michael Jordan make such a comment, Wolff said,

"I thought that was wrong to say that, and I told him that the same evening and again the next day. Because he's still the GOAT [greatest of all time]. What I said is, did you ever hear Michael Jordan say about himself that he's useless and that you change the player? No."

Wolff further went on to say that even if the Ferrari stint doesn't work out for Lewis Hamilton, it doesn't change his legacy. Just like Michael Schumacher's lack of success at Mercedes is not a knock on his career. Wolff said,

"You're wearing your heart on your sleeve, which is good, which is a fantastic character trait of his - That he speaks his emotion. And that makes him also the superstar he is. He has those emotions and doesn't hide."

He added,

"But that one, I felt was just such a bad moment for him that he said that, because it's simply not true. If he retires, he's still the GOAT. He's going to retire and nobody is going to ever know that he was at Ferrari at the end. Who thinks about the Schumacher and Mercedes time? That isn't relevant for Schumacher's career."

Lewis Hamilton can be champion again

One of the key reasons behind Lewis Hamilton making a move to Ferrari was his aim to win an eighth title with that team. Toto Wolff backed the suggestion that Hamilton could win the title with Ferrari, provided the team is able to give him a strong enough car. He said,

"If Ferrari was having the best car, I think, Lewis, with his experience of scoring all year long can win a world championship."

For now, though, Lewis Hamilton is on the back foot at Ferrari. The driver has struggled to keep up with Charles Leclerc throughout the season, and pressure has continued to ramp up because of that.