Toto Wolff said he could not help but keep an eye on Lewis Hamilton during the Australian Grand Prix, despite no longer being a Mercedes driver, but noted that he is now an opponent to beat.
The 2025 Australian Grand Prix was the first time in 247 races that the initials HAM on the scoreboard were not next to the Mercedes logo, and Wolff found himself falling into old habits.
Mercedes boss reveals subconscious support for Hamilton in Ferrari debut
Hamilton’s debut for Ferrari didn’t go as planned, finishing the race in tenth place, but for Wolff and Mercedes it was a day to remember.
George Russell finished on the podium, while Kimi Antonelli excelled, working his way from 16th on the grid to fourth place in an impressive debut.
Asked how he felt about Hamilton no longer being in the Mercedes garage, Wolff admitted that he had been paying attention to three names during the race.
“When I was looking at the screens, at times it felt like we had three drivers,” Wolff said in Melbourne. “I was looking at RUS, I was looking at ANT and I was looking at HAM.”
“And then you realize: well, HAM is actually with Ferrari, he’s not with us anymore. It was such a long era with Mercedes that it makes sense. You can’t just say he’s gone and you don’t care anymore.”
“I care a lot about how he’s doing, but, of course, on the track he’s the competition now and we have to beat the competition,” the Austrian pointed out.
Mercedes’ tire problems at the Australian GP
As for Mercedes, Wolff highlighted the problem with keeping the tires in the optimal temperature range.
“We would love to have a fight with McLaren and Verstappen under normal conditions,” the 53-year-old remarked.
“We have a disadvantage when it comes to keeping the tires in the right window. They do it better and that’s why they’re faster. We’re getting degradation because they’re just overheating, and that’s why I wish we could have been a little closer to them, but that’s the reality.”
