Hamilton claimed his first grand prix victory for the Scuderia at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, ending Mercedes’ perfect winning start to the season and cutting his deficit to championship leader Kimi Antonelli to 41 points.
The result came after Antonelli retired late from the race with a power unit issue, denying Mercedes another victory and allowing Hamilton to make a major gain in the standings after a run of strong recent results.
Hamilton, who won six of his seven world titles with Mercedes under Wolff, now sits second in the drivers’ championship, nine points clear of George Russell and firmly in range of Antonelli with 15 races still remaining.
Wolff admitted he would rather avoid a direct title fight with his former driver, having seen firsthand how difficult Hamilton can be to stop once he builds momentum.
“I’d rather not fight with him for a title, because I know what he’s capable of,” Wolff said.
“If he smells blood, he goes. I’ve seen it many years where suddenly the Lewis Hamilton train started to go and then it’s very difficult to stop it.”
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Asked whether Hamilton should now be considered a genuine title contender, Wolff was emphatic.
“Yes, absolutely. We’re so early in the season and the gap is 41 points,” said Wolff.
“You can see a DNF robs you of 25 points, and it’s wide open. That’s why we can’t afford to not finish.
“And we need to just keep putting performance on the car and the power unit, not make mistakes, be clever with the strategy, and stay absolutely on it.”
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Hamilton’s Barcelona victory followed consecutive second-place finishes in Montreal and Monaco, with the seven-time world champion now appearing increasingly comfortable at Ferrari after a difficult first season in red.
Wolff said he was pleased to see Hamilton finally claim his first win for the Scuderia, even if it came at Mercedes’ expense.
“He’s worked so hard and has gone through so many difficult moments, particularly last year, that wholeheartedly I’m happy for him that he’s won,” he said.
“And I always said if it’s not our two to win, then it should be Lewis, and he merited that today.
“Of course, you can say a VSC maybe came at the right time, but that’s what it is.
“Happy for Fred [Vasseur], also, who had a tough time. He’s my friend, even if he annoys me sometimes, or even if we annoy each other sometimes.
“But the pressure of running Ferrari is enormous, and that’s why I’m happy, I’m relieved for him, and he’s close to my heart.”
Wolff also suggested Hamilton’s improved form was the result of several factors, including the feel of the new-for-2026 cars and his growing relationship with Ferrari.
“Hard work and I think this is a car that is maybe different to the previous era cars with the bouncing, with the stiffness, maybe not easy to feel,” he said.
“This is back to more conventional driving in terms of, I would say, at least aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics.
“Obviously the engine management is completely different, but you can see he’s driving strong. The dynamics in the team look to be good between him and his race engineer.”
Wolff even appeared to suggest Hamilton’s relationship with Kim Kardashian may have played a part in his improved form.
“I saw him on the podium on the telly, I mean, that face shows me that he’s very happy. Maybe the girlfriend helps,” Wolff joked.
“It helped me to have a partner that, you know, you have a stable family life and they seem to be getting on really well.
“But I think it’s all of those factors that put together the emotional and personal and professional perspective: if they are in a good place, you win.”
Hamilton takes first Ferrari win in Barcelona, Antonelli suffers DNF
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