Lewis Hamilton & Toto Wolff open up on contract negotiations, arguments & Mercedes’ F1 success

[Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] I'm an amorous means champion in school no Chan you have no chance before you broke with you before you don't know if there's more metal in there maybe let's have you give it a truck you see he's stronger this will follow away on project yeah he's our my break welcome gentlemen the enduring dynamic duo I know you represent two thousand people back at base but you're the dream team you've won six straight World Championships as a team five of those for you Luis what I want to know is how do you get on together what are the dynamics between you two friends colleagues mates a little bit of all of that I feel like a marriage guidance counselor over seven you know when you know we've been on this journey together and we've trying to team together and and when I came in 2013 you don't really know what to expect from the relationships but then when you when you have that strong bond that your objectives are most of the time very aligned and we seen since a few years we talk about things very openly say I didn't like that or like didn't appreciate that everything is being put out so we have I think we have all of all of what you want your head and because of that journey John Johnny yeah and it's definitely not just come easy you know in overtime but we built that you know over time learning to trust one another which is obviously always it it was such an important value to have in the respect and you know we just built continue to build so the team have won three quarters of the races in the hybrid era you've won just over half of them yourself do you guys like chattin think this is impossible and this is amazing do you sort of talk in disbelief at how amazing it's been you know is it just you've worked so hard for it's taken for granted I don't think we take it for granted and I think that's why we continue to win with the mentality that we have and what's difficult is people don't people without watching and I would almost also say you don't realize just how hard in the input that we are having and why we are winning because you know you get to drive the cars that you see us drive today and you drive you know you tell me every time every time I see this is the best car I've driven master first car driven he said my 2008 car was the best card every journalist said you said you said I swear I just what she drive my car ten years ago isn't that was the best car but it's really the dynamic that's back at the factory all the people that are working flat-out and everyone in the right in the right place and everyone being open-minded and not sitting there ways which a lot of engineers can often be but we kind of breaking the mold each year I think even within ourselves you know you can without those like views that maybe it had three years ago they've shifted and the same for me you know we're constantly breaking down these barriers in these shows and and being dynamic I think well we what what's interesting is that we don't take it for granted and we don't feel any sense of entitlement of what happened yesterday almost yesterday I had a funny moment we I think both of us forget about what has happened you know your mind almost erases some of the singular events because they have no importance as long as the learning stays up there and you move on with the learning but you used to post feast on the ground and what what you said is there's lots of hard work lots of suffering behind it or so would you communicate every day every week many times I don't communicate with anyone that often I I'm not really great at communicating on my phone yeah I think I'm better in but you're also no way see you on your phone you always on your phone at races and the I guess the only person I'm really communicating back to it my assistant for 17 years but if otherwise Moe my world would stop basically so so you don't send each other like joke ideas naughty video is on the race weekend we we've met each other message each other if we don't get to see each other during the day because he's doing media or whatever it may be so he'll be back in his hotel sometimes we pop ideas to each other and Sunday night often it's probably the one that we do text each other mostly after and the next couple of days because it could be pretty painful and we're like geez that I couldn't sleep last night and totes is like I was the same I've been up since 3:00 and whatever it is so don't you get edgy you haven't heard from him for a week or two you thinking no not working I always ask myself that question but we have such a most synchronized behaviors that for tens month 10 months we're traveling together and we see each other every every weekend and and then almost when we when we shut down before Christmas everybody needs to have his own space and we have almost that felt naturally to respect that and every now and then there would be we would be sending whatsapp's to each other when when you have an idea I have one and then we come back together beginning of February and then it goes seamlessly into into into the season so it's it's feels very natural can you read each other's minds or moods not minds but I think we can definitely kind of move we can sense each other it's not really shows how it was murdered it's more the energy so I noticed sometimes if Toto's down I try to I might not be in the case that day and I try to lift him up and vice versa that's what we do this that's what teammates do so yeah and it helps because we between the sports star obviously being the guy who sits in the car or who kicks the ball is very different to the role I have but the stress levels are very similar and the responsibility and accountability is very similar so we know sometimes a nice whatsapp or a nice message can help and send you a little bit on a better trajectory and we didn't your birthday is a five days apart you send each other cards present messages you know I'm really bad with remembering dates particularly I don't want to remember is my mum's birthday but yeah every year it's a surprise to me I'll go Turtles birthdays yourself boy 12 for January 7th of January yeah you can folio you I think that's probably why we get like that it makes it easier being that big both capricorns 14th Valentine's so stubborn yeah both massively driven and so that's probably why it works I would say potentially I I hate New Year's Eve and I hate birthdays because I don't why is there a reason to celebrate on exactly that they the one is just random and the other one is just to remind reminding you that another years past and you have grown older it's just another day I'm and that's why the birthday is the worst one for me yeah because the period of time it's in no one what's the party on the 7th of January because they're still recovering from me it's and you don't get birthday presents because everyone's spent their money broke I don't like having presents anyways in general but yeah so it's an effusion of the period of time that I've just started training which is not pleasurable or so it's just not a fun time when did the name toto wolff first come onto your radar well I barely remember like this this December so I don't remember me I would imagine it was when he was at Williams when he became a Williams and noticed you around there but I don't think we really it was quite a distant relationship I would say in the beginning and then it just got you know Duras closer and and naturally I think just in life you just draw you realized the care what my goals I want to win I've got to figure out how to what people I need around me to to achieve that and and that's what Toto does so we did just relax we just drew each other to each other because I needed toted to do what he does with with the team and you need in a car when what's your earliest memory of Lewis Hamilton much earlier obviously because I was involved in the NT TM at an earlier earlier age and I remember I when I was involved with him that in 2000 it was your first year in Formula three with mana there was a test in Valencia and I remembered that people were saying that Lewis I'm ignore such a talent and I stood in the gate in the garage of what today is a RT and that was the team to beat and Lewis was in the team was where it was very difficult and you came strolling over to the garage and looking at the cars and I thought that's interesting because he must have been very young yeah and then I have a photo I don't know how that happened with my godson and my son were both three or four five years old sitting on Lewis's race car with him in the middle and in in Formula three you go then how like is somewhere the boys are obviously very proud it hasn't for was 2000 manner that was the year that many one that was 2005 2005 yeah okay the boys are very proud did you ever fall out have a fight have a shouting match often owning a halt here but jolting mention all 14 oh yeah we don't I think it's not only natural we have disagreements I don't think we really had liked it we've never had like a bus stop or anything like that we always we have disagreements but he talked about whether the thing is we just I think we've just always been very transparent with each other I think that's whether you like it or not and I think that's been the way as healthy as it is I think and how do you rejoin after you a little bit of a in a little bit of a fight you say like just never mentioned again Oh what does it say I think that I think we just we're so similar I think in in that personalities we were me I'd be like I've I've got to go away for a couple the day is whatever and I'll come back Toto's the same inside I can't answer you right the second I'll come back because we when we you have these agreements and we had a discussion many years ago where where I said I have often disagreements with Suzy but I'm not in any way doubting the relationship I don't want to divorce and I think we together on this journey with this giant objective and I need Lewis and the team needs Louis and Louis needs the team and and that's why you don't need to discuss everything when when when emotions are high and everybody stands because then you're irrational and and he may be irrational and then it would trigger an irrational behavior for me which makes everything just worse I think it's important to respect the distance a little bit and to let things cool down and then we would put the finger in the wound and say well this is how I saw it and the other side the other didn't say well no I have a completely different perspective and it takes a while until the waters calm down but eventually we know that we're in this together and for the benefit of all of us mutation really is is so important now because there you know we're constantly both being interviewed there'll be times that Toto's interview I don't even know he's been interviewed and vice versa and sometimes months down the line they'll pick a single line or word and they'll twist it and there's terrible TV people yeah at the pond it's a yes yeah and then then you'll see something in the news and you'll be like on a second yeah totally yeah how can I say that because like I didn't say that and so and we've learnt over time because I think in the past perhaps we would see something and it would frustrate you and rather than saying something about it or you dwell on it for supplements multiple days and then we bump into each other and we're like no that's actually not what was what's happened this is actually and so we find that now there is as soon as that's the problem we pick up the phone I'm sorry outreach so yeah so this guy really fascinates me you first made me because I've been in f1 36 years I've never seen anybody you turn up and gain power success and monetize it in the way that you have not even not even close where did you learn that how to do that because you're you're quite a late comer to f1 in many respects compared to a lot of people on the scene and now you're leading this great Mercedes team where did you learn like juggling timing it's a magician is it your investment background your I know you were you were a frustrated racing driver and you channel the energy into business you know I take it as a compliment what you say but it's magical you know thank you very much but the way I see it is that one day if if I were to stop what I'm doing then I think it's the moment to say okay was that successful or not because you know cook it's cause very fast suddenly we have a bad year and then all the magic is gone so maybe where the stars align with me that that I was a young racing driver that didn't have the means and and and didn't have the pace car thing to to to make it as a racing driver I went into finance and and into investments and this is all about people putting the right people together and finding the right jockey for the horse and it's about psychology and I think this is where I was able to put what I have learned 20 years together in an environment where I merged my passion and what I've learned experience in life if there are five people you really trust implicitly that's more likely to become four than six because people can let you down but do you trust each other implicitly would you think I think so yeah we must because if we weren't we will over the course of a season have situation where the trust is being tested and I think sometimes were where the targets don't align we can talk about it we can say openly and with the targets in the line you hit that target and be representing the team and another one and then it's out in the open but fundamentally there is there is trust between us because we are in this in this together [Music] [Applause] [Music] obviously the cars are pretty similar to last year we've got a lot of continuity Red Bull and Ferrari beating their chests about how good they're going to be the young bucks the young pretenders to your throne and they want to dethrone King Lewis max for steppin Charles and Eclair are coming for you are you guys looking in your rear-view mirrors I think we're always looking ahead there's nothing we can do we don't know first see what they have in store for us at the moment all we can do is focus on what's ahead of us and take one step at a time and I think you know yesterday we just had a group meeting it was a myth it's always amazing and really inspiring to see firstly all the individuals that are in the team in the team talk we had and then when they take us through the car and what they've been working on over the winter it's um it's all fascinating and I talk to says he we kind of forgotten what's happened already last year we're now back to square one and we're back to almost you know and with with wondering okay welcome me when we pull out a little bit more from this engine here where we can pull a little bit more out of the arrow Aryan all these different things so we don't get caught up I'd partner I think both of us we don't get caught up wondering what Ferrari are doing or what Red Bull they can talk all they want I think it's the way I've been brought up is just doing what talking on the track and I think that's generally what we do exactly it didn't the talking if you is do the talking on the track it's the lap time that counts and not the talking before during or after the event many people mistake that you need to play some kind of media game that we don't do that at all but the law of diminishing returns you are six-time world champion you're 35 years old you've said just recently that you're on another level mentally and physically the team of won the last six championships where have you got to go where where where can you go to be even better it's like that song the only way is up was left but it's always improve you can always improve we didn't win every race last year there are areas that we stumbled and that I mean there's so many elements that it's probably it's going to be one of the most complex sports in the world there's no you know there are so many things back that are going on the stresses that Toto's having in terms of running all these people was such a large group of people and then also having to deal with drivers but you will see even more complex characters and then there's it's a long season but there's always areas of you can prove this and as a driver for me and ultimately how I can improve the communication of my group particularly my group mechanics to help push them forward the guys back at the factory who pushing and keeping them motivated saying the right things coming with the right energy but also as a driver and just delivering even better more impactful more concise performances so it's not it's not technique you're not gonna change the way you go about driving the race card because that's clear did do you really yeah every year I do and even through the season the techniques and evolving it's not just one you always you know this year for example we've got the same tires as last year but last year the whole year was an issue so there's still subtle techniques which I'm gonna have to adapt with also a different car and that's that's a part of the game it has been out to be adaptive and you know we got this new car I don't know how it's gonna handle or hopefully she's bringing me too shabby is it you're not gonna drive it around the track and think no no that's what we did last year really the first test which he thought we it's sandbagging it was not nice to drive was it surprising he was oh yeah she didn't want to do what we wanted to do and we struggled and it wasn't we did a lot of great work I think over those days and the last one we've got it into a sweet spot and it unlocked a huge amount of potential and also then the guys had to go to back to the drawing board and there was so much work that went on the background which people don't know about and that journey was it was so especially when we look back yeah and you're going all these people all this budget all this resource we spent in the car doesn't work why it was interesting and interesting dynamic because we we knew that between the first test and the second test we will bring so much updates that it what there was almost a second between car number one and car number two and then so the first test was always yeah but wait we're gonna put put the real stuff on the card and we did the second test from the first I think it wasn't faster it was almost exactly the same and the aerodynamicists could read more downforce but it wasn't we couldn't translate it and then Lewis was actually the one pushing the setup direction into an area that we didn't feel comfortable in putting the car and had some resistance but um between all of us we know each other so well then at the end what we did to the car suddenly unlocked the potential and then the engineers looked at the date and say okay then we need to go back to the drawing board because the car feels happier in a different place than what we thought it would and it was so difficult because we didn't know what to expect from Melbourne did we luck out on the last day of testing that suddenly they let them was there it's amazing with all other date set how much have an unknown this it was what is the upside for mercedes-benz how much upside do you have I looked at some data today and you could see them the the audiences that we were able to generate and the advertising value from a sailors and all the partners on the on the car and for in 2012 we had an advertising value of Believe It or Not 60 or 70 million euros dollars that is and today we had 4.5 billion and and that has unlocked so much potential and a Mercedes today is perceived as a sporty car it was in ten years ago and of course the road cars you buy the the AMG cars and the electric vehicles all that they have an edge it's a it's a we have to come a really cool brand I think we have played our part in helping the brand to change its image by doing but being in Formula one but being successful and and triggering some emotion because fundamental is this is what you want to trigger with all your marketing activity and emotion and this is what we do 20:21 have you done a deal yeah no we haven't sat down and told yet it's crazy cuz there's all this talk immediately we can do it now we I have a certain approach know me in the sense that I don't dress I mean I trust turn I think you know we have that trust between us so we've we've said are we've told each other basically what our goals are and what our aims are and our commitments and so there's like I don't ever feel this necessary as a rush but then sometimes tell us actually is everything okay you know so we just always keep the channel channel open and and I'm sure in their future we'll start to sit down but I don't know it doesn't feel lost yeah you know like it's because we know actually what don't take a sharp intake of breath there we like that's iconic acquire fright and I texted Lewis the other day I think the week ago 10 days I'm reading all these comments in the press about our negotiations that noise is asking so much money we have never talked about it it's all made up and then I said well maybe we should sit down one day and I have to check but I think I know so well where he's gonna go you know where I am it's about finding a day where we spend a few hours together and that's what we've done in the past so is it the big number that is that is that the thing that's gonna be discussed or is it you know they don't want the M&Ms without their red ones you know in my dressing that's usually kind of the easier phrase of it it's it's the tiny details like you know people complain about or comment about the life that I live this struggling life I just work a lot but you know when I joined the team I had the open up doors if you have to do things like I know I'd have partnership with Tommy if we hadn't had this earlier discussion Tony wouldn't be in a part of our team I wouldn't be able to do the great thing that I'm doing I've got a fashion show coming up and that's a really important thing for me so just small bits we have to tweak here and there which enable those things which then don't take away from the primary goal which is to win world titles so and then every year your life is its manure it's moving and shifting and your plan for your next five years is always different you know obviously I'm going into potentially like my last period of time yeah mostly the last period of time mice in my sport and I want to of course you want to maximise financially but it's more about results it's about the journey and and then obviously the destination and the other things that you're doing also that complement you manage yourself don't you with these you don't have anybody getting enrolled in these conversations well no I mean actually I have a small team people that I put together that I bounce ideas off and then I run the past Toto then come back and forth come back and forth we go away think about it and then last time it was done in my apartment in Monaco most likely helped me hours with it mean that we had a pizza yeah but you owned 30% of the team so if you pay him a big number then 30% 30% is coming from your pocket no but we have that respect that I know which contribution Luis brings to the team as a driver and as a brand and you always need to respect that and respect that a sports four and a half million which than a minute you make a note of that don't worry he sent me that number already a few weeks ago I sent her our one connect this money they wanted me last night what numbers I was reflecting some figures and stuff is starting to approach each other yeah discipline is a psychological thing reason invented by I knew as a sports person has a in sports activity a shelf life and I totally a knowledge that as a racing driver you can probably go until you're 40 and you're at your peak and then I've no doubt that but Luis there will be another career whatever that may be and and that's why I respect that there needs to be a financial component and that is important this is about putting money to the side for the ventures in the future to come on the same side Luis he knows the limitations of of the team and where we need to put the money and the timer is not an easy situation today and that's why almost we enter in the discussion we know where it's gonna end the money was never part and unlike I think you know you're asking how Toto's done so I think unlike I think other managers have generally been quite narrow me and didn't know things and that would know no one else but allow me to do for example the thing I do with Tommy which is not conflicting to any of the brands if anything that's helped elevate us you know we brought a little bit of color looking you know before we were black and white team and now we have colors on our shirts you know which which was not a Mercedes way in the past but even Mercedes have kind of becoming a more flexible and more appealing brand and I think that's only been good for us well it obviously keeps you fresh yeah well the dynamics of your life work for you don't because you know you just keep delivering so then nobody can argue with that but you can be a mercedes-benz ambassador for the rest of your life don't you fancy doing a Michael Schumacher and try see if you can win in a Ferrari I think that's like a short it's kind of like a short-term kind of thing if you look at all drivers that have driven for Ferrari or no obviously it's an incredible team and it's a I've sees the cars always beautiful red is you know I've got red on my helmet red is the color of passion and love or whatever you want to say I've never seen what Mercedes have done for all their drivers if you look at even just Stirling Moss was still a part of the team you know they honor that and you become a part of a legacy and a lifelong partner which i think is is super appealing and a lot of the plans that Mercedes have moving forward which you know something that's really important for me as sustainability and and the impact that we're having a footprint for example we're working very closely and in how we can bring and be the pioneers with informal one to be the carbon neutral team work with Mercedes with their goal by 2030 is it 2039 completely free yeah to really be the leaders and the pioneering leaders in that and I want to be a part of that you know so it's a naturally all have to be aligned and I think we have that and so it might take away from this very interesting conversation is the you to go together like gin and tonic fish and chips strawberries and cream I don't think you would have expected it would've you won't see us walking down the street you wouldn't have expected us I don't know he's cheating on it good well that we've been in therapy dr. Freud yeah have a great season thank you thanks you time you

Channel: Sky Sports F1

Views: 684,420

Rating: 4.9337773 out of 5

Keywords: Formula 1, F1, Formula One, Sky Sports, Sky F1, Sky Sports F1, Lewis Hamilton, Toto Wolff, Lewis Hamilton Toto Wolff, Mercedes, Mercedes F1, F1 Mercedes, Formula One Racing, F1 Racing, Lewis Hamilton Mercedes, Toto Wolff Mercedes, When Toto Wolff met Lewis Hamilton, At Home With Sky, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Lewis Hamilton highlights, Lando Norris, McLaren, Renault, Fernando Alonso

Id: BHCxaYfqlJ4

Length: 30min 6sec (1806 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 27 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/jure__]

I feel like only Brundle can extract and deliver this level insight from such highly experienced and ranking personalities of F1. Really enjoyed this piece.

[u/SubcooledBoiling]

Toto: 'I hate New Years Eve and I hate birthday.'

Finally I found one thing that Toto and I share

[u/longhornjeeplover]

Martin: "The team has won the last six championships. Where have you got to go? Where can you go to be even better?"

Lewis: "We didn't win every race last year."

So that's their 2020 goal!

[u/Shuda_Mcgavin]

Toto giving a dangerous amount of neckline, r/f1fanfiction gonna have a day

[u/jogaboi19]

Toto is so money. Best leader in the sport since Todt and Brawn.

[u/Structure3]

Wait, I swear I've seen this before several weeks ago. It was posted here.

Am I going crazy?

[u/AndyArcher19]

Martin, Toto and Lewis - three of the best, at their best. Great interview.