“I’ll Always Be a Mercedes Fan”: Lewis Hamilton Gives Emotional Tribute to Toto Wolff & Co.

Before we dive into the fast and furious world of F1 and become completely consumed by race weekends, Lewis Hamilton addressed his sensational Ferrari move one more time. After sharing such a rich and successful history, we’ve heard a lot about the move and the Brit’s loyalty and focus toward Mercedes in the upcoming season. However, right before the season opener in Bahrain, Hamilton expressed his deep connection with the team and made an important and emotional revelation regarding Toto Wolff and Co.

This is the second blockbuster move of Hamilton’s career, the first being his move from McLaren to Mercedes. Even then, he raised many eyebrows because of his decision and consumed the headlines. However, while discussing the difficult Ferrari decision in the latest episode of the F1: Chequered Flag podcast, Hamilton expressed how invested he was and will be with his former team and revealed he will always remain a fan.

He said, “Honestly, it was the hardest decision. When I left McLaren it was a very very decision also cause it was part of my family. You feel such a part of the family and Mercedes has been such a huge part of my life and we’ve achieved so much together. The thing I will always be a Mercedes fan and we’ll always have this incredible history together. Even now, after all these years I’ve left McLaren I always check where they are and generally I’m always supporting them and that’ll always be the case for me.” 

Read More: Lewis Hamilton Reveals Mercedes Is “Going Backwards” After Shock Ferrari Move

He will surely miss the team and the people he worked with for over a decade, especially Toto Wolff. As he said, he will also continue rooting for them once he joins Ferrari. However, there is one part of Mercedes that Hamilton will not miss, and Drive to Survive (DTS) season 6’s latest episode revealed that.

Lewis Hamilton expresses his resentment toward the W14 in Drive to Survive

DTS always gives a unique behind-the-scenes insight into all events in the F1 world. This is exactly what season 6 of the show delivered as well. Focusing on Hamilton and Wolff, an episode in season 6 showcased the two in a conversation ahead of the penultimate race of 2023, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

During this conversation, the two talked a bit about the future and this future did not include the W14. The same W14, which was the cause of misery for the Brit almost the entire year and which he considers tapped out in terms of pace which is nowhere near the competition. This is exactly why in his conversation with Wolff, Hamilton confessed he never wants to “see this car again after today.”

The conversation went something like:

Toto Wolff (TW): “Still not in a good place, the car.”

Lewis Hamilton (LH): “I’ll see what I can do with it.” 

TW: “I’m sure you can do something with it.”

LH: “I don’t want to see this car again after today.”

TW: “It’s the last one. Last one. Let’s do the best out of the last 90 minutes of the season.”

LH: “Yep. I’ll give it everything.”

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We all know how painful the race was for the seven-time world champion where he was overtaken by the then-AlphaTauri and finished 9th. Regardless, it’s all in the past now as they shift their focus to 2024 before he makes his move to Ferrari. Let’s hope he can end his storied relationship with Mercedes on a high before he starts rooting for them from a distance.