“Lewis Hamilton Wasted 2 Years at Mercedes”: Ex-Ferrari Boss Slams Toto Wolff & Co’s Inadequacy

Nobody would have blamed Lewis Hamilton for deciding to quit Formula 1 after the way the 2021 season ended in Abu Dhabi. After all, he was on the verge of winning his record-breaking 8th driver’s championship after a dominant performance on Sunday. However, what unfolded during the closing stages of the race could only be described as soul-crushing for the British driver. What made it worse was the fact that Mercedes didn’t choose to fight to overturn the outcome of the championship. And according to Former Ferrari boss Peter Windsor, Hamilton should have left Mercedes at the start of 2022.

For a driver that had won at least 1 race in every single season of his career, Hamilton was faced with the harsh reality of going winless in 2022 followed by another winless season in 2023. He voiced his frustration with the team for sticking with the flawed zero-side pod concept even after multiple warnings from the 38-year-old. Although the team has now shifted away from that concept, Lewis Hamilton has decided to take on a new challenge at Ferrari in 2025.

Peter Windsor blames Mercedes for not supporting Lewis Hamilton after AD2021

After the events of the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton refused to interact with the media and also took a break from social media during the winter break. He broke his silence at the 2022 Mercedes car launch where he shared that he had been thinking about his future in Formula 1. While he explained that he didn’t consider his retirement, he emphasized the amount of dedication and hard work that goes into becoming a world champion.

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In a recent Live Chat on his YouTube channel, the 71-year-old addressed Hamilton’s move to Ferrari as he pointed out that Toto Wolff and the team forced Hamilton to walk away from the 2021 championship when they should have clearly fought for him. “I think he’s done exactly the right thing. You could argue that it’s a shame he didn’t do it sooner to be honest because he’s just wasted 2 years at Mercedes really,” said Windsor.

“And I think it goes back to, I’ve often said this, I don’t think Mercedes fought hard enough after Abu Dhabi to get that overturned. I think they gave up much too quickly and I think it’s because they’re a blue chip Fortune 500 board that they just wanted to say, ‘Oh well, you know, let’s get on, we better not have too much acrimony, we’ll keep calm the waters.’ But they should have fought harder,” he added.

When Toto Wolff signed a 3-year contract extension with Mercedes recently, he cited the biggest reason was to end Red Bull‘s domination with Lewis Hamilton, but with Lewis out of the mix now, Toto gives an update on his future with the team.

Toto Wolff will remain committed to Mercedes

Wolff, who serves as both part-owner and team principal, recently made it clear that Hamilton’s departure would not impact his commitment to Mercedes. He suggested that regardless of the position he holds, he sees himself as an integral part of the team and will remain dedicated to the team’s future.

Wolff’s decision to extend his contract came before Hamilton activated a break clause in his recent deal. When asked if prior knowledge of Hamilton’s Ferrari switch had made any difference in his new contract, Wolff said, “No, it wouldn’t have changed that… It was a no-brainer to continue in an executive role, you can call it CEO, managing director, chairman, or team principal.” The Austrian has a tough season ahead of him as he now needs to find a good enough replacement for Hamilton while also trying to take the fight to Red Bull.

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Who do you think will replace Hamilton at Mercedes? Share your predictions down below in the comment section.