Mercedes chief Toto Wolff insists Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari “doesn’t mean his personal relationship ends” with the 7x F1 champion

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has stated that his 'personal' relationship with Lewis Hamilton won't end after the latter joins the Ferrari F1 team.

The seven-time world champion dropped a bombshell to his fans and team on Thursday (February 1) when it was announced that he would be leaving the German manufacturer for the iconic Italian brand. The move came as a shock for everyone in the motorsport world as he had recently extended his contract with Mercedes which would have seen him driving for them till 2025.

Speaking with The Telegraph, Toto Wolff pointed out that Lewis Hamilton's departure signals the end of their professional relationship but it doesn't impact their personal terms.

He said:

"When he first told me, my next thought was pragmatic. What are the pressure points? What does it mean for the driver lineup? The team’s mind kicked in. Now, having slept a few nights on it, it means that our professional journey comes to an end. But it doesn’t mean that our personal relationship ends.

"I’ve found a friend. He faced a very, very difficult situation making a decision about where to drive. I respect the difficulty of his decision. In the future, we will discuss whether it could have been done differently. But I hold no grudge."

Toto Wolff opens up on if Lewis Hamilton's departure caught him by surprise

The Austrian billionaire also went on to admit that the 'timing' of Lewis Hamilton's exit caught him by surprise.

As per Sky Sports, the Mercedes team boss pragmatically pointed out that he was aware of such a possibility given the length of the current deal. He said:

"When we signed the contract with Lewis, we opted for a shorter term. So the events are not a surprise, maybe the timing."

When asked what had changed since August 31 when Lewis Hamilton signed a contract extension to now, Wolff added:

"I cannot tell you exactly. We were very aligned when we went into the Christmas period and I think we've said that in public and in the team. You need to ask Lewis why he changed his mind.

"How he framed it to me is perfectly understandable, that he needed a new challenge, that he was looking for a different environment, and that it was maybe the last possibility to do something else."

Lewis Hamilton is yet to make any public statements to the media about his move to Ferrari as many await to hear his reasons behind leaving his 'home' at Brackley.