Lewis Hamilton reveals 'awkward' Toto Wolff meeting after Ferrari move and says 'people went in on me that day'

Lewis Hamilton has opened up on his decision to quit Mercedes, admitting his first meeting with team boss Toto Wolff was "awkward."

The seven-time champion shocked the F1 paddock when he announced that he'd be leaving the Silver Arrows for Ferrari in 2025, with this weekend's Abu Dhabi GP marking his 356th and final race with Mercedes power. And speaking prior to on-track action getting underway, he said that a paintballing session with team members days after announcing his departure left 39-year-old Hamilton with "loads of bruises."

Sky Sports presenter Craig Slater said: "Lewis it’s been a long goodbye, you knew from the start of the year that you’d be leaving and so did the team. Toto Wolff said he anticipated a bumpy road, did it get awkward at any point now we’re at the end of that road?" To which the sport's most successful driver responded: "The first meeting with Toto at the beginning of the year was awkward. It was awkward from the get-go.

"The day after I took some of the team paintballing and they had just found out - I got loads of shots at me and loads of bruises during that. People went in on me that day. Ultimately though I anticipated it would be difficult, but massively underestimated how difficult it would be. It was straining on the relationship very early on, it took time for people to get past it."

Hamilton has endured a frustrating final season with Mercedes, even hinting he could leave the team early during a disastrous Brazil GP - and admitted that he has struggled to keep control of his emotions. He continued: "For my own self it’s been a very emotional year. I think that I’ve not been at my best in handling and dealing with those emotions.

"I think you’ve all seen the worst of me and the best