Wolff cannot resist Hamilton joke as Mercedes celebrate F1 title triumph
Photo: Race Pictures
Tobia is a Formula 1 journalist at GPblog with experience at international circuits. Since 2022, he has covered Grands Prix across Europe, delivering reliable coverage and insights from the paddock.
Lewis Hamilton could find himself in an unusual situation following the Brazilian Grand Prix, with Toto Wolff revealing that the Ferrari driver will travel home alongside members of Mercedes as they celebrate winning the Constructors' Championship.
The German outfit secured its first Constructors' title since 2021 at Interlagos, completing a championship double after Kimi Antonelli's earlier triumph in the Drivers' standings.
For Hamilton, however, the result marked the end of Ferrari's mathematical hopes of challenging Mercedes for the title. The seven-time world champion finished ninth in Brazil, while teammate Charles Leclerc was classified eighth following a five-second penalty.
Despite leaving Mercedes at the end of 2024, Hamilton continues to enjoy a close relationship with his former team principal and regularly travels on Wolff's private jet. That arrangement will continue following the São Paulo weekend, although the atmosphere on board could be rather different this time.
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Wolff jokes about Hamilton joining Mercedes celebrations
Speaking after Mercedes secured the championship, Wolff was asked how the team intended to celebrate its achievement. The Austrian revealed that no major party was planned immediately after the race, but suggested that the journey back to Europe could provide an opportunity for a small celebration.
"In terms of the party, I don't know yet. Now it's another flight, another overnight flight. George is going to be on that overnight flight, so maybe we'll have a drink, a constructor's drink.
"We're going to take Lewis also, so we'll see, maybe he needs one for the bed! And then we figure out what we do in party terms in coming back to the UK."
Wolff's remarks provided a light-hearted moment following a weekend that produced contrasting emotions for Mercedes and Ferrari.
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Hamilton spent 12 seasons with the Silver Arrows, winning six Drivers' Championships and contributing to eight consecutive Constructors' titles between 2014 and 2021. His move to Ferrari represented the beginning of a new chapter, but Mercedes have now returned to championship-winning form without him.
Photo: Race Pictures
Wolff reflects on Mercedes' return to the top
Beyond the unusual travel arrangements, Wolff also reflected on the work behind Mercedes' return to championship success. The German outfit endured four difficult seasons following its previous Constructors' triumph, struggling to consistently reproduce the competitiveness that defined its dominant era.
When asked whether stability within the organisation played an important role in its recovery, Wolff suggested that another factor was equally significant: "Stability is certainly a factor, but we have also many people that have joined us recently. I think what I would like to choose as a word is safety. We are not a hire-and-fire organisation.
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"We provide a culture and an environment where you can thrive, where you're allowed to make mistakes, where you can speak up, and over the long term, I believe if you want to be successful, not over a period of a few years, but over many decades, this is what you need to be able to kind of ingrain in the team."
The Austrian also acknowledged how difficult the previous four seasons were for Mercedes, particularly when the team struggled to identify the reasons behind its performance problems.
"But it felt not good, and the resilience of the team, the people that held together in those tough times, is a factor. It feels really good sealing those two titles. Not many sports teams have done that after a consecutive run of championships, then a difficult spell, and then coming back. So I'm really proud that we are part of this very small group of teams that have done that in all sports."
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