Toto Wolff describes qualities that make Lewis Hamilton a world champion

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff detailed the qualities that make Lewis Hamilton special and praised the seven-time champion. The duo have been the most successful team principal-driver combination in F1 history, given they have won eight consecutive constructor's championships along with six driver titles for the British driver.

The pair joined the German team in 2013 with Lewis Hamilton replacing the outgoing Michael Schumacher and Toto Wolff taking over the role of executive director and later as the team principal in 2014. Aside from their on-track achievements, they share a friendly and respectful dynamic off-track, which has been evident on several occasions in the paddock.

Featuring in an episode of the "High-Performance" podcast released on Monday, the Austrian was asked to describe Lewis Hamilton in one word after being associated with him for over 12 years.

"You know whatever I say now wouldn't give it justice to how good he is in many things. I'd like to use your word 'magic'," Wolff said. "Yeah, and that combines all of the skills of the genes, the talent, the nature, and the nurturing from his father in the early years. Hard work, ethic, social intelligence, no fear attitude, and constant development of himself."

Further lauding praise on the soon-to-be Ferrari driver, Wolff added:

"I have words for a minute more if I were to think about it, because he's a seven-time world champion and won God knows how many races so in that respect there hasn't been anybody else like this."

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Toto Wolff commented on Lewis Hamilton's impending exit from Mercedes

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said that he "liked" the idea of Lewis Hamilton leaving the Brackley-based outfit at the end of the 2024 season to join Ferrari as it saved him from telling the British driver about his future with them.

In Mercedes' new all-access book Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane, the Austrian reflected on the suddenness of the news and acknowledged that it did catch him out.

"I just couldn't understand why he'd change to another team before we knew if we were going to be competitive," Wolff said. "It also didn't give me any time to react. I had to emergency call our partners, and I possibly missed out on negotiating with other drivers who had signed contracts a few weeks earlier like Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris. [But] I like the situation. It helps us because it avoids the moment where we need to tell the sport's most iconic driver that we want to stop." (via SkySports)

Lewis Hamilton will join the Italian team on a multi-year contract that will see him race for them at least till the end of 2026 alongside Charles Leclerc. The 39-year-old would look to fulfill his dream of winning an eighth world championship in the red car.