Fernando Alonso picked up the phone to call Toto Wolff when he heard that Me♔rcedes would have a shock vacancy.

Mercedes boss Wolff has recounted theꦏ whispers leading up to Lewis Hami☂lton’s announcement that he would exit the team.

Hamilton will embꦡark on a new journey with Ferrari in 2025.

“I wasn’t shocked at all,” Wolffಞ told about Hamilton visiting him to tell him the bad new𝓰s.

“I knew this was happening a few weeks earlier when I got a🍌 phone call from Carlos Sainz and his ♎father.

“He said: ‘Something is cooking.’🦩 I said: ‘Why would♛ that happen before the start of the season?’

“But t♔hat same afternoon I received calls from a few other drivers that were close to Charles Leclerc. Fernando Alonso too.

“I think it started from Leclerc knowing over t꧅he winter and then his closest allies hearingꦰ there was a seat free.

🐎“I said to Susie: ‘This is happening without us officially knowing.’”

Wolff sent a message to Ferrari counterpart Fred Vasseur, who is𓂃 also a c🍸lose friend, which went unanswered.

He chose not to confront Hamilton personally.

“I did not want to put him in a situation wher🍨e he had to lie to me because at that stage the contract wasn’t signed,” Wolff said.

Hamilton will seek a record eighth F1 championship with Ferrari🐎 in 2025.

Mercedes will bring in rookie Kimi Antonelli, while George Ruꦬssell will become their senior driver.

“There is an emotional side because we’ve been 𒀰on this journey together,” Wolff ꦡsaid about Hamilton.

“The friends✅hip will change, but not t♕he depth of emotion. On the contrary. This will be a new friendship with Lewis.

“On the professional side, I always see benef﷽its in chang🐓e.

“We have new regulations, we have reshaped our organisation and we’re embarking on a new era with ou🌺r senior driver turning 27 and the junior driver being 18.

🐬“We have two drivers barely older together than🅷 Lewis. That’s very exciting.”