Wolff feared Verstappen repeat before Hamilton departure

Toto Wolff has explained how missing out on Max Verstappen ultimately culminated in Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari.

In the mother of all domino effects, the Mercedes team principal revealed that he feared Kimi Antonelli would seek opportunities elsewhere, as the Dutchman did a decade ago, something that led to the four-time drivers' champion joining Red Bull.

The 52-year-old was hesitant to offer Hamilton a two-year deal in 2023 with the young Italian rapidly progressing up the single-seater ladder.

Agreeing upon a one-plus-one deal with the seven-time F1 drivers' champion opened the door for him to leave at the end of last season, which he did.

Whilst that news, when it broke almost 12 months ago, paved the way for Antonelli to step into Hamilton seat after just one season at F2 level (having skipped FIA F3 entirely), it nonetheless took Wolff by surprise.

"It was a curve ball thrown at us, and it still feels weird that he's gonna wear Ferrari overalls and drive the red car," the Austrian told the Armchair Experts with Dax Shepard podcast.

"It's just a bit surreal. But we had this 17-year-old in the pipeline [Kimi Antonelli].

"I didn't want to miss out on him, like I did with Max [Verstappen] back in the day, [when] I didn't have a car [for him], so that is all falling into place.

"And I can kind of get where he's coming from, because we weren't successful. Our car was not quick enough, certainly he had a mega offer on the table, [and] every Formula 1 driver wants to drive a Ferrari."

Wolff could not make Hamilton exit call

Wolff did not shy away from how difficult he found the advancing scenario, knowing he faced having to decide to drop Hamilton, or risk losing Antonelli.

When asked whether he was relieved the British driver ended up leaving Mercedes of his own volition, he confirmed he was.

"Absolutely," Wolff replied. "I couldn't make the decision from a personal standpoint - we owe him so much.

"And I didn't want to do the decision, as Mercedes, letting the greatest champion ever go. 

"Maybe he felt that also, that's part of it, and he knew that Antonelli was in the pipeline. It was something that I almost had in the back of my mind, that that would happen."