Toto Wolff told Lewis Hamilton that if Mercedes do not win the F1 2025 title, he will cheer him on to do that at Ferrari.

But, this was “bullsh*t for the cameras” in the opinion of former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner.

Guenther Steiner doubts Toto Wolff’s Lewis Hamilton Ferrari support

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Hamilton contested his final race with Mercedes at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, bringing to a close a record-breaking partnership, Hamilton having won six of his record-equalling seven World Championship titles with Mercedes, as well as setting benchmarks such as most wins, podiums and pole positions in that time.

Hamilton signed off with a recovery drive to P4, as he now embarks on a fresh challenge with Ferrari where he will look to win an eighth world title which would move him ahead of Ferrari icon Michael Schumacher for the most in F1 history.

And, if Mercedes cannot be the ones to win the title in F1 2025, then Wolff says he will “cheer” for Hamilton to take the crown and make more F1 history.

“We will be competitors, and I said that if we can’t win, we’ll cheer for him,” Wolff told the media, including PlanetF1.com.

“He merits an eighth championship. But obviously, the team, the drivers, the brand, that is the main priority, to win, and we’re going to give it everything we have.”

However, Steiner – who served as Haas F1 team principal from 2016-23 – is not buying Wolff’s promise to Hamilton.

“Oh, he doesn’t wish him that,” claimed Steiner on the Red Flags podcast.

“That was bull***t for the camera. This was for the camera.”

Asked to clarify that he believes Wolff would not be happy for Hamilton if he won his eighth title at Ferrari, Steiner confirmed: “No, because he didn’t win it. There can be only one winner.

“I mean, why should he be happy, you know? He said, ‘If it is not us, it should be you’. Yeah, for sure, but if he doesn’t win it, he doesn’t really care who wins it, in my opinion.”

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After his final race with Mercedes, Hamilton embarked on a farewell tour which included visits to Kuala Lumpur – where title sponsor Petronas are based – as well as Stuttgart, Brackley and Brixworth to complete his Mercedes career.

However, Hamilton expressed his hope that it would not be his final time stepping foot on Mercedes soil.

Speaking to Mercedes personnel at their Brixworth engine base, Hamilton said: “You know, Mercedes has changed my life.

“Growing up in Stevenage, dreaming of one day being in Formula 1 and being a World Champion. And definitely back then, it was me and my two parents. I didn’t know that there would be a huge amount of people that I get to work with, who would be the ones to life me up and take me on that journey to winning something like that.

“I’m going to always be looking on the screens and seeing where you guys are. I’m always going to be wishing you all the absolute best.

“I believe in you. I’ll continue to believe in you. And when you do have that success, I’ll be so proud of you, to know that I was hopefully a little bit part of your dream that you’re living as well.

“So, a huge thank you to you all. All my love. I want to wish you and your families well.

“And I do hope, as I said, in many years to come, I’ll be able to come back and see you all.

“So, big, big thank you everybody.”

Hamilton will be team-mate to Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, as Carlos Sainz departs for Williams.

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