Toto Wolff has leapt to the defence of Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton after his self-defeating comments following qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Hamilton called himself ‘useless’ and told Ferrari to replace him as their driver at the weekend. The former Mercedes star finished 12th in Hungary, a race in which he was overshadowed by teammate Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc failed to secure a podium spot on Sunday, finishing fourth, over 20 seconds behind George Russell in third.
And while Hamilton was scathing of his performance at the Hungarian GP, Mercedes Team Principal Wolff, who successfully worked with Hamilton in the past, defended the 40-year-old.
Lewis Hamilton is the GOAT
“No, that is Lewis wearing his heart on his sleeve,” Wolff said when asked on Hamilton’s comments.
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“It's what he thought very much when he was asked after the session was very raw. He was doubting himself, and we had it in the past. When he felt that he had underperformed his own expectations, and the team had its own goal, he's been that emotional, emotionally transparent since he was a young boy, a young adult.
“So, he's going to beat himself up. He's the GOAT. And he will always be the GOAT, and nobody's going to take that away. For sure, no single weekend or race season that hasn't gone to plan.”
Hamilton has endured a tough start to life with Ferrari having joined the iconic team from Mercedes for the 2025 season.
Sunday’s race means Hamilton remains in sixth place, with Leclerc pulling away from his teammate after finishing fourth in Hungary.
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Wolff backs Hamilton to shine again
Wolff, though, has backed Hamilton to come back stronger, with a new 2026 F1 regulations offering all drivers a fresh start.
“Lewis has unfinished business in Formula 1,” Wolff said.
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“In the same way that Mercedes underperformed over this latest set of regulations, we never got happy with ground-effect car, in the same way it [affects] him. Maybe it is linked to driving style.
“He shouldn’t go anywhere next year. There are brand new cars which are completely different to drive. New power units which need an intelligent way of managing the energy.
“I hope he’s in for many more years. Next year is an important one.”
Wolff outlines how Hamilton can win historic 8th F1 championship
And Wolff believes he knows how Hamilton will improve his fortunes for 2026 as he seeks an eighth drivers’ championship.
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“If he has a car underneath him, which he has confidence in, and which does what he wants, then yes,” Wolff said when asked on whether Hamilton can set the record for the most title wins.
“If he has a car which isn’t giving him the feedback that he wants - like the Mercedes of the past few years or the Ferrari which seems to be worse - then not.
“But you ask me if he still has it? He definitely has it.”
Hamilton has previously criticised the Ferrari cars and has offered his guidance on how to improve their performance.
Topics: Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Mercedes, Formula 1, Hungarian Grand Prix
Ben McAleer