Lewis Hamilton served up 'surprise' departure news at a breakfast meeting, Toto Wolff says

Lewis Hamilton surprised Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff when he broke the news over breakfast that he was leaving the F1 team for Ferrari, but there is “no grudge” between them, Wolff said Friday.

Wolff said he had heard rumors that Hamilton might leave but didn't know for sure until the F1 great confirmed it in a meeting over breakfast on Wednesday at Wolff's home in Oxford, England.

Hamilton is leaving Mercedes at the end of the upcoming season to join Ferrari for 2025 in a move announced Thursday. Hamilton has raced for Mercedes since 2013 and won six of his seven titles with the team.

“The surprise was that I've heard the rumors a couple of days earlier but wanted to wait for the breakfast we had planned, and it was Wednesday morning, and this is when he broke the news,” Wolff said Friday.

“But, you know, you can be very straightforward with me because I'm very straightforward too. So once he said, ‘This is what I’m trying to do,' that was the fact. I didn't try to convince him otherwise.”

Wolff added that he still considers Hamilton a friend. «In the future, we will discuss whether this could have been done in a different way or not, but I hold no grudge.»

In a glimpse into the shock within the wider Mercedes team, Wolff said Hamilton’s longtime race engineer Peter Bonnington — known as ‘Bono’ in their conversations over the radio during races — replied “Is it April 1?” when told Hamilton would leave.

Hamilton only finalized a two-year extension with Mercedes at the end of August but is activating a release clause that allows him to leave after a year.

Wolff said the fact Hamilton was seeking a new challenge wasn't a surprise but the timing was. He suggested Hamilton might be “rolling the dice” as the 39-year-old driver seeks another shot at what would be his eighth F1 title.

“We knew that by signing a short-term contract, it could be of benefit for both sides. We couldn’t commit for a longer period and he is taking the option to exit. We totally respect that you can change your mind, it’s different circumstances," he said.

Mercedes can now take its time deciding on a new driver to partner George Russell for next year, Wolff added. He likened Mercedes’ need for a