Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has admitted that he remains cautious of the threat posed by seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, conceding that his former driver will be a major obstacle in tomorrow’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 following a close qualifying session, Wolff explained that when Hamilton is “in the right frame of mind and the car suits him, he is to be reckoned with”.
While it was Mercedes driver George Russell who took pole position in Barcelona, Hamilton claimed the grid slot alongside him in P2. Russell’s team-mate Kimi Antonelli will start the grand prix from third.
“My old friend… when people doubted whether he still had the speed, I’ve always said if he’s in the right frame of mind and the car suits him, then he is to be reckoned with,” Wolff said when asked if he was worried about his former driver.
“You need to count him in and that’s what he did today. If there isn’t a tiny mistake at the end, he is a tenth-and-a-half quicker than us.
“I think it’s going to play out in tyre degradation and we were quite good in the long run yesterday – but it all depends on the start.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes
Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
“If Lewis is ahead after the start, that’s going to be a tough one for everyone, so I’m really curious to see how that pans out.”
Hamilton left the Brackley outfit, where he won six of his seven championship titles, for Ferrari in 2025. Although he struggled in his first season with the Maranello team, he has managed to bounce back as he seemingly enjoys the new regulations in 2026.
The British driver’s second-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix, which was his third podium of the season, meant that he overtook Russell in the drivers’ championship to take second behind Antonelli.
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