Hungry for sport, he grew up to the sound of Formula 1 engines and the exploits of Ronaldinho. Today, with a Master’s degree in sports journalism, he no longer misses an F1 Grand Prix or a PSG match, his two passions and specialties.
It was undoubtedly one of the best kept secrets in the paddock. The announcement of the signing of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari had the effect of a bomb since it only leaked a few hours before it was made official. However, Toto Wolff, boss of Mercedes F1, assures that he felt it coming, especially after a call from Carlos Sainz’s father.
It is probably one of the best kept secrets in the history of Formula 1. Especially when it comes to such information. Indeed, last January, the transfer of the century was announced by Ferrari which obtained the signature of Lewis Hamilton for 2025. A bomb in the paddock which had only leaked a few hours before the officialization, which caused the element of surprise. Nevertheless, Toto Wolff was not completely surprised by this announcement. And for good reason, the father of Carlos Sainzwho will give up his seat to Lewis Hamilton next season, warned Toto Wolff as the latter tells it.
“Father Sainz called me and told me this is what was happening”
« I heard the bells ringing two weeks ago. Father Sainz called me and told me that this is what was happening. And then there were a few pilots’ fathers who called me even though they hadn’t done so before. So I told myself that something was happening. So I sent a message to Fred Vasseur to tell him: “You take our pilot”, with a question mark. I didn’t get a response. This is very unusual for Fred. He’s a good friend. So yes, I saw it coming », says the boss of Mercedes F1 for the High Performance Podcastbefore continuing.
“And Lewis said, ‘Oh, there’s something I need to tell you.’”
« But of course, when Lewis came home, as he had so many years before, and we had a little chat, as we always do about Christmas holidays and everything else… And then I said, “Well, we’re recruiting at Ferrari now. We’ve got this guy.” And Lewis said, “Oh, there’s something I need to tell you.” And when he said that, that first moment was a bit… ‘So this is really happening. I can’t imagine you anywhere other than Mercedes.’ But instantly, it’s like, okay, what do we do with this? And yes, it is also an opportunity, as I said before. It was a situation where I just wanted to see how things went, and leave it up to him [Hamilton] and to Fred [Vasseur] care to tell me that they were doing that », added Toto Wolff.
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