Former Ferrari driver claims Toto Wolff leaked the news of Lewis Hamilton's departure to Italian media

It is being reported by former F1 driver Ivan Capelli that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff himself leaked the news of Lewis Hamilton's departure from the Silver Arrows to Ferrari.

The news of Hamilton's exit from the former world champion caught everyone by surprise as the seven-time world champion had signed a contract extension with Mercedes just last August. The new deal saw him race till the end of the 2025 season. However, it also had an exit clause, which Lewis Hamilton activated to join Ferrari.

Ivan Capelli in his interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that Toto Wolff himself leaked the news to Italian media. Capelli said (via Formula Passion):

“It was a trip by Toto Wolff to Hamilton and Ferrari. It burned an announcement to be made during the current season.”

However, neither Wolff nor Hamilton has officially confirmed yet who leaked the news of the Brit's exit.

Speaking with the media including Sportskeeda, Lewis Hamilton stated that the decision to join Ferrari was 'one of the hardest' of his life:

"Obviously in summer, yeah we signed and obviously I at that time saw my future with Mercedes but an opportunity came up in the new year and I decided to take it. I feel like it was obviously the hardest decision I think I've ever had to make. Obviously, I've been with Mercedes for, I think it's like 26 years, they've supported me.

"And we've had an incredible, an absolutely incredible journey together. We've created history within the sport. And it's something I take a lot of pride in. I'm very proud of what we've achieved. But I think ultimately, I'm proud of what we've achieved. writing my story and I felt like this would be, it was time to start a new chapter."

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F1 pundit speaks about Lewis Hamilton's chances of winning a title with Ferrari

Former F1 driver and Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle recently said he doubts whether Lewis Hamilton can win championships with the Italian team. He cited the presence of talented younger drivers as the reason for that.

Brundle said:

“He can win races with Ferrari. Can he win another championship? Tall order. A lot of good kids around.”