Toto Wolff sends endearing message to Lewis Hamilton for recognizing the "champion" in Kimi Antonelli

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff spoke about his relationship with Lewis Hamilton, as he sent a heartwarming message to the seven-time champion. Wolff responded after Andrea Kimi Antonelli opened up about Hamilton's endearing gesture for him in the wake of his Belgian GP debacle.

Antonelli had a poor showing in the Belgian GP qualifying. The 18-year-old got knocked out in Q1 and was visibly upset in the media pen after the session. Ahead of the race, Hamilton was seen visiting the Mercedes motorhome. As Antonelli shared later, his Mercedes predecessor met him and shared some uplifting words.

After the race at Spa, where Antonelli recorded his sixth non-points finish in seven races, Hamilton came to his rescue. The seven-time champion declared that his replacement at Mercedes was doing a "fantastic" job after being thrown in the "deep end" as an 18-year-old.

In a recent interview with Gazzetta, Toto Wolff talked about the budding relationship between Hamilton and Antonelli. When asked whether he was surprised to see the two getting along so well, the Austrian replied:

"No, I think champions recognize other champions. And then Lewis remains very important for us, he has been a pillar of our team and will always be part of the Mercedes family, even if he now drives for Ferrari. My friendship with Lewis has remained unchanged. We talk a lot, and I think he understands the challenges Kimi faces."

Wolff shared a terrific work relationship with Hamilton for 12 years before he jumped ship to Ferrari in a shocking move. Nonetheless, the two remained close, and the Mercedes boss' support for his former driver indicated this.

Toto Wolff lends emotional support to "GOAT" Lewis Hamilton amid rough patch with Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton at the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton was downbeat after a poor qualifying performance at the Hungarian GP last weekend. The Ferrari driver failed to make it past Q2 and secured a P12 starting position for the race, while teammate Charles Leclerc secured pole position.

In the post-qualifying interviews, Hamilton was highly self-critical. The Briton called himself "useless" for not being able to get into Q3 in a car that was good enough for pole. Moreover, he also suggested that Ferrari needed to replace him.

During such rough times, his former boss, Toto Wolff, stood beside him like a strong oak tree. The Austrian emphasized that Lewis Hamilton was the "GOAT" and will remain one.

"That is Lewis wearing his heart on his sleeve. It’s what he thought when he was asked after the session. It was very raw. He was down on himself. We had it in the past when he felt that he’d underperformed in his own expectations," Wolff said, via Crash.net.

"He has been that emotionally transparent since he was a young adult. He will beat himself up. But he’s the GOAT and will always be the GOAT. [Nothing] will take that away, no single weekend or race season which hasn’t gone to plan. That’s something he needs to always remember - that he’s the Greatest Of All Time," the Mercedes team principal added.

Lewis Hamilton had a weekend to forget at the Hungaroring. For the first time this season, he finished outside the points. It was one of his worst performances at the Hungarian GP, a race he'd won eight times in the past.