How Norris and Leclerc missed out on Mercedes move after Hamilton decision

Toto Wolff has stated the timing of Lewis Hamilton's decision to join Ferrari left him not able to negotiate with other star drivers on the F1 grid.

Hamilton shocked the F1 world prior to the start of the current campaign by confirming he would exit Mercedes at the end of the year.

Mercedes announced in September that rookie Kimi Antonelli would take over the seven-time world champion's drive next year.

Various drivers were linked with the seat prior to Antonelli's confirmation - however McLaren's Lando Norris and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc were not due to extending their deals just days before Hamilton's decision to leave Mercedes.

Wolff has hinted he would have pursued the drivers if they had not put pen to paper with their respective teams.

“I absolutely had it on my radar that Lewis would go,” Wolff said in the new book Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane. 

“I just couldn’t understand why he’d change to another team before we knew if we were going to be competitive. 

“It also didn’t give me any time to react. I had to emergency call our partners, and I possibly missed out on negotiating with other drivers who had signed contracts a few weeks earlier like Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.”

Wolff asserts no hard feelings after decision

Hamilton has a long-standing partnership with Mercedes, having raced for the team since 2013.

He currently holds the record for the most race starts with a single constructor but will line-up on next year's grid as a direct rival of the Brackley-based squad.

Wolff asserted there are no overhanging emotions from Hamilton's decision.

“It put us on the back foot, and that had a commercial impact. But do I take that personally? This was a business decision,” he said.

“We’ve enjoyed such a successful journey together, and now we have our own objectives. This didn’t even move the needle for me. I’m thick-skinned, you know? I’ve had some pretty tough moments in my life, and this doesn’t compare.”

Hamilton himself weighed in on the relationship and asserted there is still love between the duo.

“I feel like I’m ending a relationship that’s perfectly fine,” he stated.

“We’re still in love. I haven’t lost faith in the team. I’m leaving for myself.”