Lewis Hamilton made headlines when he announced his plans to leave Mercedes for Scuderia Ferrari. The seven-time world champion has spent over a decade with the Silver Arrows in F1. Many believed that Toto Wolff‘s team was caught off-guard by this news.

Hamilton signed a massive deal with Scuderia for 2025 even before the 2024 season had commenced. This was seen as a sign of no confidence in Mercedes from the 39-year-old. Moreover, it left the Silver Arrows scrambling to find another driver to fill the shoes of the seven-time world champion.

Rumors surfaced that Toto Wolff was potentially looking to sign Max Verstappen or Carlos Sainz. Ultimately, Mercedes has decided to take a bet on 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli. However, it seems that Wolff already had plans for a future without Lewis Hamilton.

Toto Wolff was ready to back Kimi Antonelli as Mercedes’ future

Despite rumors of Mercedes contacting Max Verstappen, Toto Wolff admitted that he made up his mind to sign Antonelli within minutes of Hamilton’s Ferrari news. The Austrian billionaire recently revealed that he knew Lewis Hamilton could leave the Silver Arrows.

The British driver’s age did play a role in Wolff giving him a 1+1 contract rather than a clear two-year deal back in 2022. This left Mercedes with room to potentially not renew Lewis Hamilton’s contract for 2025. However, the 39-year-old’s decision gave the Silver Arrows the opportunity to go ahead with its long-term plan.

Formula 1 is a brutal sport. Mercedes and Hamilton had a longstanding relationship. However, now it is evident that both parties had backup plans in mind even when they signed a new deal. No matter how successful a pairing has been in the sport, they would not shy away from jumping ships for a better opportunity.

Toto Wolff was disappointed to see the Briton announce his move to Ferrari for 2025. However, the Austrian billionaire used this to fast-track his plans for the team’s future. However, this has not hurt the relationship between Wolff and Hamilton.