Reflecting on the emotional highlights of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes career, Toto Wolff recalled the rollercoaster that was the 2018 Singapore Grand Prix.

Hamilton spent 12 seasons as a Mercedes driver and re-wrote the F1 history books in that time, winning six of his record-equalling seven World Championship titles, as well as setting new benchmarks such as most wins (105) and most poles (104). But, that alliance reached its end in 2024, Hamilton to line-up on the F1 2025 grid as a Ferrari driver.

When Lewis Hamilton showed up ‘late’ and ‘humiliated’ his rivals

And during conversation with Channel 4 at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, team principal Wolff reflected on some of the highlights from Hamilton’s time at Mercedes, Hamilton and Wolff having joined at the same time in 2013.

One memory which really stands out for Wolff is Singapore 2018. There Hamilton delivered arguably his greatest lap to secure pole, but Wolff revealed how there was so much more going on behind the scenes which made this lap and victory which followed that bit more remarkable.

At Mercedes, Hamilton found the freedom to branch out into new interests around his F1 life, fashion being one of them, which Wolff recalled brought scrutiny upon Mercedes, especially in Singapore that year when Hamilton was late for a key meeting, but blitzed his rivals anyway.

“You know, there were, over those 12 years, so many moments that were exceptional from the racing side,” said Wolff.

“From the emotional side, I think racing 2018 Singapore, where everybody criticised us for letting him do his fashion shows. He came late on Thursday for one of the engineering meetings, and then I said: ‘You can’t practice the performance back!’

“And he just humiliated everybody else in the qualifying, the lap was unbelievable, maybe comparable to the Senna level in Monaco, and then he just disappeared in the distance on the race.

“That was a great, great moment. And emotionally, we had so many good times off the track, not so visible for the media, that I will cherish forever.”

Asked if that involved some big sessions with Hamilton, Wolff replied: “We are not big party animals. He’s generally not a drinker.”

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But, Wolff would open up on some of those behind-the-scenes stories, featuring a short-lived vegan challenge and one stressed diving coach.

“He convinced me to be vegan for 18 hours,” said Wolff. “But otherwise, yeah, we have those moments where we have dinner in Monaco.

“We went diving with each other, with George [Russell]. That was hilarious, where the diving coach said: ‘I need to stop you two now, because it’s getting too competitive’. Meter by meter, we’re trying to beat each other, and then it got dangerous. We said, ‘Stop!’ Yeah, these are the great moments.”

Hamilton has signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari where he will partner Charles Leclerc, while Mercedes has called their 18-year-old protégé Kimi Antonelli up from Formula 2 to take over from Hamilton as team-mate to George Russell.

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