Why Fernando Alonso called Toto Wolff when Lewis Hamilton

Why Fernando Alonso called Toto Wolff when Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes for Ferrari

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff recently revealed how he learned of Lewis Hamilton’s unexpected move to Ferrari, a decision that shocked the Formula 1 world.

Wolff learned of Hamilton’s plans through a tip-off from Carlos Sainz Sr., who had discovered that his son, Carlos Sainz Jr., was losing his Ferrari seat.

Ferrari had informed Sainz that his contract wouldn’t be renewed, leaving a gap at the team.

Despite this, Hamilton had kept his intentions to leave Mercedes largely under wraps until the final moments, managing to keep the secret even from Wolff until just before the news became public.

Hamilton, who had left McLaren under less-than-ideal circumstances, wanted to ensure he handled this departure differently.

He didn’t initially inform Wolff directly but chose to meet with him face-to-face before the news leaked.

While Wolff was taken aback by Hamilton’s decision, he was not entirely surprised, acknowledging that the timing was the most unexpected aspect of the move.

Hamilton had signed a new deal with Mercedes just the previous August, with an option to leave after the first season.

However, despite the timing, Hamilton felt he needed a change, especially as he had not yet driven Mercedes’ 2024 car.

Peter Windsor also highlighted that Mercedes had started losing faith in Hamilton at the end of 2021, which led to them signing George Russell.

Mercedes viewed Russell as a long-term investment and someone around whom they could build their future.

This shift in dynamics led to Hamilton’s eventual departure, even though he was still under contract at the time.

As news of Hamilton’s departure spread, Wolff began receiving calls from several of Hamilton’s competitors, with one of the most notable being Fernando Alonso.

Alonso, who was also one of the 13 F1 drivers without a contract for the upcoming season, reached out to Wolff expressing interest in the vacant Mercedes seat.

Wolff speculated that the information about Hamilton’s departure might have come from Charles Leclerc, who knew about it early on.

Leclerc’s closest allies, including Alonso, likely became aware that the seat at Mercedes was now available, prompting them to contact Wolff.

Wolff described the situation as spiraling out of control, noting that the calls were coming in before any official confirmation from Mercedes.

Despite Alonso’s interest in the Mercedes seat, he eventually signed a multi-year extension with Aston Martin.

With the addition of Adrian Newey and other top engineers at Aston Martin, Alonso believed he had a chance at securing a third world title with the team before his career ended.

However, Alonso’s potential move to Mercedes had been a serious consideration.

According to Nico Rosberg, Wolff held extensive talks with Alonso’s manager, Flavio Briatore, in Monaco, which Rosberg witnessed firsthand.

While Alonso’s ambition to secure a third title with Aston Martin was clear, his potential move to Mercedes was seen as a strategic option, possibly as a stop-gap before young driver Kimi Antonelli would be ready to take over at the top team.

Guenther Steiner, team principal of Haas, also noted that Alonso had matured over the years and had learned to control his ego, which made him a more appealing candidate for Mercedes.

However, despite these talks, Alonso’s decision to stay at Aston Martin seemed to be the final opportunity for him to potentially work with Wolff at Mercedes.