Lewis Hamilton: Toto Wolff admits to closely following former Mercedes driver’s progress for Ferrari at Australian GP | F1 News happymamay

Mercedes Toto Wolf coach says he felt he had three drivers during the Australian Grand Prix race, which opens the season, where he found himself closely tracking Luis Hamilton’s progress after the British turned to Ferrari.

Hamilton Mercedes left after 12 seasons with silver arrows at the end of last year, after a historical partnership that saw him winning six of his seven drivers.

Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelle fell to replace Hamilton as George Russell’s teammate, and the duo started a strong start in Melbourne by taking fourth and third, respectively.

“When I looked at the screens, sometimes, the way I looked at it as if we had three drivers because I was looking at Ross, and I was looking at the ants and I was looking at pork,” said Wolf, referring to the shortcuts of the three letters that I was looking at Ross, and I was looking at the ants and I was looking at pork, “referring to the three -letter shortcuts that were granted each driver on timing screens.

“Then you realize that pork is actually with Ferrari and not with us anymore.”

Hamilton holds a huge weekend with Ferrari, which qualified eighth before ranked tenth in the race, as the Italian team showed a sudden shortage of speed.

“It has been a long time, it is logical, you can only say that it is gone, and you no longer care about.

“You are very interested in what it does, but it is clear that it is on the right track, it is competition and we need to overcome the competition.”

“Mercedes needs to improve to fight in order to win race.”

Mercedes has struggled since the current design regulations, which change at the end of this season, were presented in 2022.

They seem to have started in 2025 in a stronger place than any of their previous three campaigns, but Wolf admits that they will have to find a great deal of performance to be able to compete with McLaren, which Lando Norris won in Melbourne.

“I think it is a solid weekend, but always looking at it from the empty glass side, you have to say that the McLaren pace is very strong,” said Wolf.

“We need to improve if we want to fight against the race victories and the tournament, there is definitely something that we need to find.”

Wolf set the McLaren ability – and to a lesser degree than Red Bull, who won Max Verstapen in second place – to manage their tires as his main team needs to catch up with a knee.

He added: “We have a deficit in keeping the tires in the window. They are able to do this better and become faster, and with us we see deterioration because they simply feel the heat.

“I wanted to be a little closer to them, but this is the reality.”

Sky SPORTS F1 Live GP

Thursday 20 March

• 5 am: Press conference for drivers

Friday, March 21

• 1 in the morning: F1 academy practice
• 3 in the morning: Chinese GP practice (one session begins at 3:30 am)*
• 5.30 am: The press conference of the team managers
• 6 in the morning: F1 qualifying Academy*
• 6.45 am: GP PRINT (GP PRINT).

Saturday, March 22nd

• 2.25 in the morning: Chinese GP race accumulation*
• 3 in the morning: Chinese GP race*
• 5.45 AM: F1 Academy Race 1*
• 6.35 in the morning: Chinese rehabilitation accumulation GP*
• 7 in the morning: Chinese GP qualifiers*
• 9 in the morning: TED booklet*

Sunday 23 March

• 2.40 am: F1 2 Academy Race
• 5.30 AM: Chinese GP accumulation: Grand Prix Sunday*
• 7 in the morning: Chinese Grand Prix*
• 9 in the morning: Chinese GP reaction: fluctuating science*
• 10 am: Ted Book*

*Also at the main sky sports event

The F1 Circus is heading directly to Shanghai this week to spend the first weekend in the season in the Chinese GP, Live on Sky SPORTS F1. Stream Sky SPORTS at now – no contract, cancellation at any time