Guenther Steiner believes Toto Wolff made an insecure decision regarding Lewis Hamilton during Mercedes tenure. Lewis Hamilton’s move from Mercedes to Ferrari in 2025 has been challenging.

Lewis Hamilton’s Unexpected Departure from Mercedes and Challenging Start at Ferrari in 2025

After an extraordinary 11-year partnership with Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton’s departure from the Silver Arrows during the winter period took an unexpected turn. Seeking a fresh challenge in his career, Hamilton made the high-profile switch to Ferrari. However, his debut season with the Scuderia has been marked by the longest podium drought he has experienced in his entire Formula 1 career.

The most notable moment of Hamilton’s 2025 campaign came during the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix, where he secured a victory that raised hopes he could contend for an unprecedented eighth World Drivers’ Championship. Despite this breakthrough, Hamilton has since struggled to reach the level of performance that even characterized his more difficult years with Mercedes, revealing a significant amount of work still required over the summer break to regain competitiveness.

Hamilton has shown support for his Mercedes successor, Kimi Antonelli, acknowledging the young driver’s potential to become a future world champion. However, half a year into his Ferrari tenure, reports suggest that nearly 90% of insiders within Ferrari were initially skeptical about signing Hamilton. So far, Hamilton has not provided enough compelling performances to fully convince these internal critics otherwise.

Guenther Steiner’s Critique of Toto Wolff’s ‘Insecure’ Strategy Management for Hamilton at Mercedes

Looking ahead to the 2026 Formula 1 regulations, which represent a pivotal moment in Hamilton’s career, many see this as his opportunity to demonstrate that his 2025 difficulties were largely due to the limitations of the car rather than a decline in his driving abilities. For any driver, especially one with ambitions to end Ferrari’s nearly 20-year championship drought and break the all-time record for most world titles, finishing on a high note would be an ideal way to close their career.

However, Ferrari has already faced a significant setback, described as a ‘complete failure’ in their preparations for the 2026 season, though they still have time to correct course. One figure with valuable insight into setting a team up for success is Hamilton’s former team principal, Toto Wolff.

Guenther Steiner, the Haas F1 Team boss, has publicly shared his view that Wolff’s strategic approach at Mercedes regarding Lewis Hamilton was often ‘insecure.’ Steiner explained that Wolff’s tactics were designed to avoid conflict between drivers when the team had a dominant car but came at the cost of limiting racing freedom.

Steiner cited an example involving Oscar Piastri, noting that Piastri accepted losing to teammates due to team strategy without complaint. By contrast, Steiner suggested that the chemistry and personalities of the Mercedes drivers were less accepting of such measures. To prevent post-race disputes and media controversies, Wolff reportedly preferred to impose identical strategies on his drivers. Steiner interpreted this as a way for Wolff to maintain control and minimize blame directed at the team if the drivers collided on track.

The Extra Effort Hamilton Made to Secure the Ferrari Drive and Compete in 2025

Now aged 40, Hamilton’s pursuit of a world championship title in 2026 would place him as the third-oldest champion in Formula 1 history and the oldest since the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio claimed his fifth title in 1957. While age inevitably affects all athletes, former Formula 1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi highlighted three concerning ways in which Hamilton’s age is impacting his performance, many of which are difficult for him to overcome.

Mentally, maintaining the sharpness required at the highest level of racing is becoming more challenging with each passing season. Nonetheless, Hamilton has been willing to push himself harder in other areas to compensate for these natural declines.

Demonstrating his commitment to making his Ferrari tenure successful, Hamilton began his 2025 training regime earlier than ever before, undertaking unprecedented preparation to ensure he was physically and mentally ready for the challenge. His determination to triumph with Ferrari is clear, driven by a deep desire to win in the iconic red racing suit.