Netflix Exposes Lewis Hamilton’s Betrayal of Informal Pact With Toto Wolff

A bucket-load of behind-the-scenes drama from F1 is out on full show in Netflix’s Drive to Survive docuseries. The show is a gateway into the paddocks, exclusive interviews, and race track drama where very little skips the lens of Netflix. And over the years, there have been some interesting reveals about unknown information that has shaped the sport today.

With one of the biggest things to happen in F1 occurring just after the season is over, Drive to Survive couldn’t capture Lewis Hamilton‘s decision to move. But they did expose the driver for breaking a pact with Mercedes Boss, Toto Wolff.

Toto Wolff felt betrayed by Lewis Hamilton

Drive to Survive, Season 6, Episode 6 brings up many interesting events that led to Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes. One of the incidents captured was the Silver Arrows boss, talking about his star driver. In the show, Toto Wolff states, “I completely understand that Lewis needs to look out what is the best opportunities for himself.” 

Explaining the pact that the two had with each other, Wolff said, “But what we agreed very early on was that we wouldn’t talk to anybody else without being transparent and honest with each other.” While Toto Wolff was always comfortable with Lewis Hamilton looking for a new team, he expected the Briton to be clear about his intentions.

Wolff also spoke about their journey together as a team and said, “From 2014 to 2021 we won 8 constructors Championships in a row and 7 Driver Championships. Lewis beat the all-time record of 100 race wins. These records were very satisfying.” The Mercedes boss also explained his relationship with the driver and said, “But Lewis is much more than my driver. Lewis is a friend. This is his family and his home. And therefore, I wouldn’t want to have any other driver in the car.” 

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Although Lewis Hamilton did sign a 2-year contract with Mercedes, in the end, he decided to talk with Ferrari without Toto Wolff’s knowledge to land one of the most expensive driver deals in the history of F1.

But why did Lewis Hamilton go behind Toto Wolff’s back?

That question goes deeper than the others. There are many reasons why Lewis Hamilton decided to talk to Ferrari without letting Wolff know. According to PlanetF1, one of the main reasons could be pointed towards Toto Wolff not being ready to make Hamilton the brand ambassador for Mercedes.

On the other hand, Toto had also denied his request for a £15 million raise, which the Billion Dollar Man was looking for, to match the salary of Max Verstappen, which was £43 million. While pay was not the primary issue, reports suggest that Hamilton was looking for a 10-year brand ambassador contract with the team, which would cost around £20 million a year, which would end up being a £200 million investment for Mercedes overall.

But what Lewis Hamilton bagged at Ferrari was much better with a rumored signing of $100 million and $400 as a brand ambassador for 10 years. When Toto Wolff decided to not give Hamilton what he wanted, he looked at Ferrari and got much more than he asked for. Seeing that Ferrari is ready to invest in him, it looks like the team switch worked out for him in the end. But now the question stands, will this be a good move on Ferrari? Will they be able to deliver the right car for 2025? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.