Toto Wolff lauds Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari debut as ‘iconic’

On Wednesday the biggest names in motorsport gathered in London for the Autosport Awards, a celebration hosted by the legendary motorsport magazine to honor the top drivers and teams from the previous season.

Among those in attendance? Mercedes Formula 1 Team Principal Toto Wolff, who took a moment to speak with Sky Sports about one of his former drivers, none other than living legend Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton’s rollout at his new team, Ferrari, continues this week with a pre-season testing session in Spain. While Hamilton endured a crash on Wednesday — the driver was unhurt and it should be noted that pre-season testing crashes are nothing new in the sport — Wolff praised the entire rollout, including the first images of Hamilton at Ferrari, as “iconic.”

“It’s a little bit like you divorce amicably, and it’s all good, and then you see your partner for the first time with a new friend!” said Wolff to Sky Sports. “But I’m really happy for him, and I told him that those pictures were iconic that he made - it was so well curated and no surprise with Lewis.”

Wolff also took a moment to discuss Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes, young phenom Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The 18-year-old driver celebrated a personal milestone recently, as Antonelli passed his driving test to secure his road license.

However, Wolff is looking ahead to what Antonelli can do for Mercedes, FIA Super License already in hand.

”He’s been in the team, integrated for such a long time,” said Wolff of the newest Mercedes F1 driver. “We’ve known him since he was 11, and in that respect, he’s been prepared, he’s ready to go and he can’t wait.”

Wolff, Antonelli, and George Russell will be in action at a shakedown session for the W16, their 2025 challenger, ahead of pre-season testing in Bahrain at the end of February.