Wolff: Hamilton and Ferrari will find a way to work with each other

The announcement that Hamilton would be joining Ferrari for the 2025 F1 season after 12 years with Mercedes sent shockwaves through the sport and was only rivaled by the news of Adrian Newey deciding to leave Red Bull Racing and later deciding to join Aston Martin.

But there has been a lot of talk about Hamilton's ability to function within the Ferrari environment, a passionate and emotional one compared to his current surroundings at Mercedes.

But Wolff has no worries that Hamilton will integrate himself well at Maranello, and when asked about the matter, he said, quoted by Motorsport.com: "I think many people say that it's going to be really difficult.

"But I think if you say it's going to be really difficult, then often it's the opposite," he added. "Ferrari is a great team, great people, lots of emotion and passion, and therefore it's pressure.

"But I believe they are going to find a way of working with each other," the Austrian insisted.

From his side, Hamilton ridiculed all the talk about him struggling to adapt to life at Ferrari, questioning his decision to join them, which is something he also faced when he decided to leave McLaren for Mercedes back in 2013.

"There's not been a moment where I've questioned it, and I'm not swayed by other people's comments," the Briton commented. "Even today, there's people continuing to talk sh!t, and it will continue on for the rest of the year.

"And I'll have to just do what I did in the previous time. Only you can know what was right for you. And it will be an exciting time for me," Hamilton concluded.

Mercedes have opted for young talent to fill the void Hamilton is leaving at Mercedes, with Kimi Antonelli stepping up after only one season in Formula 2 and skipping Formula 3 altogether.

Wolff admits he will look back fondly on Mercedes' Hamilton era but is also looking to the future; he said: "I think we had such a great run with Lewis over the last 12 years. He's always going to be part of the family.

"But obviously, as a competitor, when we try to beat him next year, Kimi joining George [Russell] clearly brings momentum with it, plus youth and freshness.

"You can feel the kind of smile that is in your organisation with having an 18-year-old in a car," the Mercedes boss pointed out. "But having said that, obviously, there will be moments where Lewis's experience would have benefited the team.

"Kimi is going to be on a steep learning curve, but it's absolutely the right thing for the team to do and there's not one person that would have done it differently," Wolff concluded.