In Formula 1, cooperation between driver and team boss is crucial for success. Lewis Hamilton, seven-time world champion, recently expressed his admiration for Toto Wolff’s role as team boss at Mercedes. According to the Brit, the two not only share a professional relationship, but have also gone on a remarkable journey together since joining the team at the same time.
“Toto is a great leader, I have known him for a long time,” Hamilton told international media. “We joined the team at the same time. It has been an interesting journey for both of us to grow with the team, to see its vision grow and progress within the structure of the team,” he added.
Hamilton not only praises Wolff as a visionary leader, but also emphasizes his continued competitiveness. ‘He hasn’t lost an ounce of his competitiveness. He is extremely competitive. You see it on TV as he sits behind his small desk in the garage, trying to balance work and family. I think he succeeded very well in that. But he keeps pushing everyone,” explains the seven-time world champion.
A real leader, even in bad times
A striking characteristic of Wolff, as Hamilton emphasizes, is his accessibility and empathy. “He is a very, very accessible leader,” says the Brit. ‘People can identify with him, with his emotions, his compassion and his drive. He is very understanding,” he further explains.
Hamilton also acknowledges the challenges the team has had to overcome and praises Wolff for his determination in the face of adversity. ‘And I don’t think it’s been easy for anyone in the team if you’re not working towards something and things don’t go exactly the way you want. I think a lot of lessons have been learned and I’m really proud to see the progress he’s made, as an individual and as a human being.”
