Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff will be well aware that a new dynamic exists in his Formula 1 garage heading into the 2025 season.
After 12 seasons working alongside Lewis Hamilton and winning countless championships, Toto Wolff is relying on a much younger driver to help Mercedes fulfil their ambitions.
George Russell will become Mercedes’ team leader in 2025 and is joined by Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli isn’t feeling the pressure of replacing Hamilton with Mercedes insistent that the 18-year-old isn’t expected to challenge for Grand Prix victories immediately.
However, a driver only reaches Formula 1 if they have ambitions to go on and win the drivers’ championship, and Antonelli won’t want to wait too long before he shows his credentials.
Further down the pit lane, Ferrari are getting excited about Hamilton’s debut after weeks of frenetic activity preparing for the upcoming campaign.
Hamilton has been working long hours at Ferrari’s factory to get up to speed at his new team but has also had to do plenty of public appearances and lots of private testing.
After three days of running in Bahrain, Hamilton will feel more up to speed than he did just a few weeks ago having never driven a Ferrari-powered car, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if new teammate Charles Leclerc has a slight advantage over him to begin with.
Toto Wolff reacts to ‘iconic’ Lewis Hamilton Ferrari photo
In an interview with OE24, Wolff was talking about Hamilton’s move to Ferrari and the impact he’s already made with the sport’s most successful team.
Wolff was asked what it was like to see Hamilton in Ferrari overalls for the first time and explained: “At first it was a strange thought, what he would look like after so many years in the Mercedes.
“But then he rode up in his red outfit and in the red car. In these fast-moving times you quickly get used to it. Now it’s a normal image for me.”
Hamilton’s first photo at Ferrari went viral and commenting on the picture, Wolff explained: “There was something iconic about him standing there in his Godfather outfit in a suit.
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“I said to him: ‘I’ve been trying to get you into a suit for 12 years, and then you do it on your first day at Ferrari.’ We both laughed a lot.”
The Mercedes team principal was then asked about his new rivalry with Hamilton and admitted: “It’s not that bad. We are very good friends.
“On a personal level, I wish him all the best, but on the racetrack, we want to beat him.”
Toto Wolff’s analysis of Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari F1 test
Ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, all 10 teams arrived in Bahrain to give their 2025 cars their first proper outing.
There were no signs of any major reliability issues for any of the manufacturers which shouldn’t come as a surprise at this stage of the current ruleset.
McLaren came out on top in testing, but Hamilton was encouraged by Ferrari’s performance.
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The 40-year-old was more positive than his Monegasque teammate about their 2025 car, with Leclerc struggling with the balance of his Ferrari throughout the test.
Wolff provided a short verdict on Hamiton’s first Ferrari outing but will be much more interested in how he performs in Melbourne.
Ferrari have a brilliant record at the Australian Grand Prix and the seven-time world champion would love nothing more than to secure his third victory at Albert Park.
