Toto Wolff names the driver who may have prompted Lewis Hamilton to leave Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton posed for a photo with his Mercedes colleagues in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix pit lane on Thursday as he prepares to leave the team. His 245th appearance as a Silver Arrows driver will be his last.

Hamilton will be joining rivals Ferrari in what looks like the last major transfer of his Formula 1 career. The news broke in February, and since then it’s increasingly felt as if the time is right for a change.

George Russell feels Hamilton needs a fresh start at Maranello. 2024 has arguably been the most difficult year of the seven-time world champion’s career.

He trails Russell 18-5 qualifying – by far his worst Saturday display in F1 – and is set to finish outside the top six for the first time ever. Had he stayed for another year, seeing out his original contract, then the relationship may have become strained.

He’s implied, without ever outright stating, that the team are favouring Russell this year. Hamilton’s loved ones will feel Mercedes are holding him back deliberately before he joins a rival.

These accusations, which appear unfounded, shouldn’t overshadow what has been a truly historic partnership. Six world titles and 84 wins are both records for a driver-team combination in F1.

Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton knew Kimi Antonelli was ‘in the pipeline’ at Mercedes

Speaking to Dax Shepard on the Armchair Expert podcast, Toto Wolff expressed relief that he’ll never have to oust Hamilton himself. While this wasn’t an immediate consideration, he feared an impossible dilemma in the coming years.

He felt Mercedes couldn’t have justified axing Hamilton given his unparalleled achievements. But in the end, the 39-year-old apparently recognised that the next generation was approaching.

Kimi Antonelli, who only turned 18 in August, is at the forefront. Wolff has gambled on the F2 gem as his replacement for Hamilton.

He was wary that a rival team would snap him up if he made him wait too long for a Mercedes seat. In that sense, Hamilton’s departure suits him.

“I couldn’t make that decision [to let Hamilton go] from a personal standpoint,” he said. “We owe him so much. And I didn’t want to do the decision as Mercedes, letting the greatest champion ever go.

“Maybe he felt that also, that’s part of it. He knew that Antonelli is in the pipeline. It was something that I almost had in the back of my mind that that would happen.

“It was a curveball, and it still feels weird that he’s going to wear a Ferrari overall next year and drive the red car. It’s a bit surreal. But we had this 17-year-old in the pipeline. I didn’t want to miss out on him like I did with Max back in the day. That is all falling into place.”

How Lewis Hamilton’s move to Mercedes nearly fell through

Hamilton will have to integrate himself into a brand-new culture at Ferrari. It will be the first time in his career that he races for a team based outside the UK.

Naomi Schiff has urged him to learn Italian. If not, Hamilton could be left out of key conversations involving the fluent Charles Leclerc.

It’s been more than 12 years since he agreed to leave McLaren and join Mercedes. The move shocked the F1 world given that the Woking outfit were significantly faster at the time.

While it proved to be a masterstroke, it almost fell through. Hamilton and Mercedes were £3m apart on salary before F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone intervened.