“Can’t Imagine Him in Red”- What Facing Lewis Hamilton Will Be Like for Toto Wolff and Mercedes

Credits: IMAGO / Eibner and IMAGO / PanoramiC |

L: Toto Wplff R: Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025, leaving behind a huge hole at the Brackley-based outfit. Life without the seven-time world champion could prove to be difficult, but Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had some interesting choice of words for his departing star driver.

Wolff appeared in an interview for Fox Sports Australia during the Grand Prix weekend in Melbourne last weekend. There, the host, Jess Yates, asks Wolff about how he will approach facing Hamilton, who will suit up for Ferrari from next season onwards.

To this, the Austrian boss replied, “I think, first, I can’t imagine him in red. I don’t think it suits him.”

Currently, Mercedes are miles behind Ferrari in terms of performance in the race. While Ferrari went on to finish 1-2 in Melbourne, the Mercedes drivers finished point-less due to a double retirement. Still, Wolff aims to topple the Maranello-based outfit in the coming months and he had a warning for Lewis Hamilton regarding the same.

“I told him, you’ve got to really picture of our rear wing because that’s the perspective you’re gonna have,” he added. Of course, Wolff’s comments were intended in a light-hearted manner but this is something he would definitely be dreaming of.

Toto Wolff and Mercedes hoping for a resurgence

Mercedes came into the 2024 season hopeful of their chances of getting the better of Ferrari and McLaren. But as things stand, they are behind both. Ferrari finished 1-2 in Albert Park and McLaren took a 3-4; thus, both teams capitalizing on Red Bull’s misery.

Mercedes meanwhile, ended up having the worst weekend they could possibly think of, getting a double DNF. Hamilton had to retire halfway through the race due to a power-unit failure, whereas Russell’s race ended on the penultimate lap as the young Briton crashed while trying to pass Alonso.

After the Grand Prix, Wolff admitted that there are no short-term remedies to the problems Mercedes is facing at the moment. All they can do is believe in themselves, as Wolff hopes for a McLaren-like resurgence in the coming few months.