Stopping Lewis Hamilton when he ‘smells blood’ will not be easy: Mercedes Formula 1 boss
Toto Wolff is all too aware of the threat posed by the British seven-time world champion, who won his first race with Ferrari on Sunday
Toto Wolff has said he was wary of going up against Lewis Hamilton in a title race, knowing what his former driver is like when he “smells blood”.
Hamilton closed to within 41 points of Mercedes’ championship leader Kimi Antonelli by clinching his first victory as a Ferrari driver at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Antonelli’s late engine failure, having just overtaken team-mate George Russell, has blown the title race wide open again after the Italian had won the previous five races in succession.
Mercedes’ dominance of the 2026 season was snapped by Hamilton’s victory and breathed life into Ferrari’s potential charge, with the Scuderia’s first win since Mexico City in 2024.
Antonelli – who had won five races in a row – had his title lead slashed to 41 points from Hamilton, with Russell nine points further back.
Wolff, who oversaw six of Hamilton’s seven world championships during a glittering 12-year spell at Mercedes, is all too aware of the threat his former charge poses to Antonelli and Russell.