Toto Wolff seems to recommend Lewis Hamilton didn’t need Max Verstappen at Mercedes when he was driving for the Silver Arrows, the discharge of Netflix’s Drive to Survive season seven has revealed.
The most recent sequence of the documentary has an episode which focuses on which driver would exchange Hamilton after the seven-time world champion shockingly introduced he would depart Mercedes on the finish of 2024 for Ferrari.
Hamilton, who joined Mercedes in 2013, has repeatedly alluded over his profession in F1 he shall be team-mates with anybody and advised Sky Sports activities in 2023 that he “100 per cent can be more than pleased” to race towards Verstappen in equal equipment however thinks the Dutchman doesn’t need to be team-mates with him.
The behind-the-scenes footage in Drive to Survive reveals Wolff chatting with his spouse Susie Wolff on the balcony of their residence in Monaco, pondering whether or not George Russell is nice sufficient to steer the workforce from 2025 and who ought to exchange Hamilton.
“So Carlos [Sainz] is any person to have a look at. He is had some actually good performances,” Toto says
“Fernando [Alonso], I imply, race tempo, racecraft remains to be superb.
Susie replies: “You are not going to be beginning a brand new period with a protracted contract with Fernando, it is an interim.”
She then asks: “You do not suppose Max is an possibility?”
Wolff instantly responds: “I believe he’s. However, when you win all of the races in a season, I believe he’s.”
Susie says: “There’s not a lot purpose to go away.”
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Max Verstappen assessments his cricket expertise with England gamers Reece Topley, Issy Wong and Will Jacks. Courtesy of Oracle Pink Bull Racing and England Cricket
Wolff solutions: “I have not spoken to him as a result of I promised Lewis I would not speak to him however I’ll have the dialog now.”
Wolff would in the end go on and maintain talks with Verstappen’s administration workforce throughout the primary half of 2024 to try to persuade the Dutchman to affix Mercedes.
Nonetheless, the talks ended in the course of the summer season break in August and Mercedes introduced teenager Kimi Antonelli as Russell’s team-mate for 2025.
Footage of Antonelli discovering out he obtained the seat can be revealed in Drive to Survive Season 7, after Wolff watched the Italian drive a GT3 automobile at Imola the place he remarked “What did you elevate, he’s wonderful” to Antonelli’s father.
All 10 episodes of Components 1: Drive to Survive can be found on Netflix from Friday, March 7. Sky prospects can entry Netflix by way of Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream.
When is the primary F1 race?
For the primary time since 2019, the season-opener shall be held in Melbourne on the Australian Grand Prix on March 14-16. The primary race has switched from Bahrain to Australia on account of Ramadan happening all through March.
There are 24 occasions on the 2025 F1 calendar, the identical quantity as final 12 months, with the season ending on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 5-7.
Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2025 Components 1 season reside on Sky Sports activities F1, beginning with the Australian GP on March 14-16. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
