P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Toto Wolff has revealed he was aware of Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari before the seven-time F1 champion spilled the beans.
Toto Wolff was informed by Carlos Sainz Sr that Lewis Hamilton would be leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari before Hamilton personally delivered the news in January. Wolff was not caught by surprise as he had received a tip-off from Sainz’s father and other drivers’ dads who contacted him, indicating something was going on. Wolff even reached out to Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur about the situation but received no response. Wolff had lured chief designer Simone Resta from Ferrari to Mercedes, which he used as a tactic to throw Hamilton off guard during their conversation about his departure. Despite ending a decade-long relationship with Hamilton, Wolff remains unfazed by the news and has learned from friend Pep Guardiola that letting someone go when they want to leave is the best approach for all parties involved.
