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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff downplayed Lewis Hamilton's exit from the team in the 2025 F1 season, talking about the team in 2025, as he mentioned that a driver's role in the development of the car is "overestimated."
Hamilton will move to Ferrari post this season as announced in February. Although he signed a two-year extension with Mercedes earlier, he had an exit clause in the second year, which he used to sign the new deal with the Prancing Horse.
It was estimated to be a great loss for the Brackley-based outfit as Lewis Hamilton completes his final season with them, but as Toto Wolff recently mentioned, he is okay with the move. He told Sky Germany that Hamilton's exit would not impact the team as the driver's role in the car's development is minimal.
"The role of the driver in the development of the car is always overestimated. Once a year we give input on the next development of the single-seater and during the season there is simply feedback on the handling of the card."
Furthermore, he feels that it is worse to lose an engineer than to lose a driver for the team.
"From this point of view it is worse to lose an engineer who goes to a other team after 12 months, than a driver who changes team. There is no great loss of skills."
Lewis Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes has not yet been revealed by the team. However, there has been speculation about talks with current Scuderia driver Carlos Sainz, and the possibility of bringing in their junior driver Kimi Antonelli after two seasons.
While Toto Wolff believes that the driver does not hugely impact the car's development, Ferrari's CEO has a completely different take. Talking about Hamilton moving to the Maranello team, he mentioned that a driver like him will help bring change to the team.
Ferrari CEO claims Lewis Hamilton brings Enzo Ferrari's vision to the F1 team
Ferrari has had a competitive run so far this season. Although not very close to championship leader Red Bull currently, the team sits in second position after Sainz's victory in Australia.
Amidst this progress, Lewis Hamilton's move to the team was highly appreciated by Benedetto Vigna, CEO of Ferrari. He revealed that the seven-time world champion brings "a desire for continuous progress," which is something that Enzo Ferrari, the founder, focuses on.
“Lewis will bring us what is in our DNA, what our founder [Enzo Ferrari] has said many times, a desire for continuous progress which is fundamental for a company, a team, to continue to be successful in the future," he told CNBC.
He further explained how Hamilton's presence could bring positive change within the team:
“For Ferrari, it is fundamental to have the soul of a driver. When everything is going well in a company, we forget that things can change. Having people like Lewis in the house will help remind us that things can change and you must always be vigilant if you go too fast in a corner, you risk spinning, which is why you must keep all four wheels firmly on the ground.”
Lewis Hamilton's arrival at Ferrari is awaited by many in the squad. He has been with Mercedes for over a decade and has set historical records. Winning six world championships with them, he became the face of the team for many.
