Hamilton: Relationship with Mercedes Strained After Ferrari Decision

On February 1, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Lewis Hamilton announced that the British driver would leave the Silver Arrows at the end of the season and join Ferrari on a multi-year deal.

Hamilton shared the news with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff before making it public, and the two discussed the matter at one of their regular pre-season coffee meetings. However, the following day, while playing paintball with some of his teammates, Hamilton said he sensed their reaction to his decision without any words being spoken.

“The first meeting we had with Toto at the beginning of the year was strange, there was a really uncomfortable atmosphere,” Hamilton said. He added, half-joking, “The next day I went to play paintball with some of the team, and they had just found out I was moving to Ferrari. I was shot so many times that day that I left with a lot of bruises. They came at me hard that day!”

Hamilton admitted that he knew his decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari would be difficult, but he never expected it to cause such strain. “I knew this decision would be difficult, but I really didn’t expect it to be this difficult. This decision strained my relationship with the team from the very beginning, and it took time for people to get over it and accept it.”

The driver also acknowledged that not only the team but he himself struggled to adapt to the season, admitting that it had been emotionally intense for him. “For me, this year has been very emotional, and I haven’t always been able to manage my emotions in the best way,” he said.

“You’ve seen me at my worst and my best, but I won’t apologize for it. Because I’m only human, and I don’t always do the right thing.”

Hamilton described the season as one of the worst in his career, saying, “I would definitely say this year was one of the worst years for me, which I’m going to try to get better at.”

“However, despite the adversity of this year, I have built some great memories and incredible relationships. When you spend a season with so many people, you not only experience the ups and downs of race weekends but also get to be there for them through their marriages, divorces, family losses, cancer, and so many other things.”

“It’s a really beautiful and profound journey that you go on together,” he concluded, reflecting on the emotional depth of the season despite the challenges brought on by his Hamilton decision.