SHOCKING NEWS: Toto Wolff Reviews Who Tipped Him Off Over Hamilton'

Toto Wolff Reveals How Carlos Sainz Sr. Informed Him of Lewis Hamilton’s Shocking Move to Ferrari

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed that it was Carlos Sainz’s father, two-time World Rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr., who first informed him of Lewis Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari, days before the seven-time world champion officially broke the news to Wolff himself.

In what was one of the most surprising transfer developments in recent Formula 1 history, Hamilton exercised a break clause in his newly signed two-year contract with Mercedes earlier this year to secure a deal with Ferrari for 2025. The British driver will replace Carlos Sainz Jr. in the Scuderia’s line-up starting from January, leaving Mercedes after a hugely successful stint that saw him win multiple world titles with the team.

At the time of the announcement, Wolff stated that he had “heard the rumours a couple of days earlier” but that Hamilton eventually confirmed the news during their routine start-of-year breakfast meeting. However, Wolff has now revealed that it was Sainz Sr. who was the first to break the news to him, calling the Mercedes boss in advance of the official confirmation.

Speaking on The High Performance Podcast, Wolff explained how he became aware of Hamilton’s upcoming switch to Ferrari. “I heard the bells ringing two weeks before,” Wolff said. “The old man Sainz called me and said, ‘This is what’s happening.'”

Wolff went on to describe how other drivers started reaching out to him shortly afterward, which made him realize something significant was in motion. “Then there were a few drivers that rang me up, drivers that didn’t normally call me. So, I thought, ‘OK, there is something going on.'”

Sensing that Hamilton might indeed be making a big move, Wolff reached out to Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur. “I sent a text to Fred saying, ‘You’re taking our driver?’ I didn’t get any response – very unusual for Fred, who’s a good friend of mine. So, we saw it coming.”

Despite hearing the rumors beforehand, Wolff chose not to contact Hamilton before their meeting. “That was a situation where I just wanted to see how it was happening and leave it to him and Fred to tell me that they were doing this,” he said.

The move has come as a major shock to the F1 community, given Hamilton’s long-standing partnership with Mercedes, where he has been since 2013. The British driver’s decision to switch to Ferrari signals the end of an era, but Wolff appears to have taken the news in stride, drawing on advice he once received from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on handling star players who want to leave.

Wolff shared that Guardiola had told him not to hold players back if they wish to move on. “If somebody decides to go, then you need to let them go,” Wolff said. “I had a chat with Pep Guardiola a long time ago, and I said, ‘What do you do if a player leaves?’ And he said, ‘What do you mean? If somebody thinks he can play elsewhere better or earn more, you’ve just got to let them go.'”

Reflecting on that advice, Wolff emphasized that he has adopted the same philosophy at Mercedes. “This is something I embrace in the same way here. If somebody wants to go, then let’s make it as good as possible for each of the parties.”

As Formula 1 heads toward its final races of the season, Hamilton is preparing for his farewell tour with Mercedes, a team that helped him secure six of his seven world championships. His departure from Mercedes marks the beginning of a new chapter at Ferrari, while Mercedes will focus on moving forward without its long-time star driver.

The next F1 race is the Las Vegas Grand Prix, scheduled for November 22-24, where Max Verstappen could seal the championship. The race will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.