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In the book "Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane" published in November 2024, Mercedes supremo Toto Wolff calls out Lewis Hamilton for his "shelf life" amid his move to Ferrari. The seven-time champion was asked about his thoughts on the comments this week. He asserted how he should not be compared to anyone else in the sport due to his struggles to reach F1.
Hamilton made his debut in 2007 with McLaren but had a troubled journey to F1. His father had to work multiple jobs to make the young Briton's dream accessible, all while he had to fend off racial stereotypes. Nonetheless, his skills shone through as he won his first world championship in 2008 and won six more titles in his stint with Mercedes.
Wolff was always deemed to be a supporter of Hamilton, but in his last contract negotiations with the team, he was only offered a 1+1 contract. On the other hand, the Briton wanted a bigger contract, which ultimately became a reason for him to switch to Ferrari mid-way through his tenure at the German giant.
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Addressing why Lewis Hamilton was offered a shorter contract, Toto Wolff said every F1 driver has a "shelf life" in the book written by Matt Whyman. Addressing the Austrian's comments, Hamilton said:
"Don’t ever compare me to anybody else. I’m the first and only black driver that’s ever been in this sport. I’m built different. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve had my own journey. You can’t compare me to another 40-year-old, past or present, Formula One driver in history. Because they are nothing like me. I’m hungry, driven, don’t have a wife and kids. I’m focused on one thing, and that’s winning. That’s my number one priority."
Since joining the Maranello-based squad, the seven-time champion has run three different Ferrari F1 cars (from 2023 to 2025 challengers).
Lewis Hamilton opens up on his test outing with Ferrari
In the ongoing pre-season testing at Bahrain, Lewis Hamilton drove the Ferrari SF-25 during the morning sessions on two days. While he utilized the first session to get into the groove with the car, the Brit topped the morning session on Day 2 with a time of 1:29:379 seconds.
Hamilton has driven 115 laps of the Bahrain International Circuit in the two days, and shared his experience of testing in Bahrain after the morning session on Day 1 (via Formula 1):
"Testing is always exciting. It’s the first time you get to see what everyone has been developing and can start to get a feel for your own car and the year ahead. Being here with Scuderia Ferrari HP and in the SF-25 for the first time is an incredible feeling. Our focus right now is on experimenting with different things, gathering as much data as possible and getting familiar with the car, and we’ve already learned a lot."
The Australian Grand Prix will host the first race of the season on March 16. Hamilton has two victories around the street circuit and will be hoping to win his first race with the Scuderia, recreating Fernando Alonso's feat of winning his first race with Ferrari on debut.
