Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Following the Formula One season opener, the Australian Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted that he still looks at his former driver Lewis Hamilton’s lap times on the screen, considering their 12-year association. Wolff pointed out that the team still cares how Hamilton is doing despite acknowledging that he races for a rival team.The iconic Hamilton-Mercedes partnership won eight Constructors’ Championships and six drivers’ titles, completing Hamilton’s record tally of seven championships (his first title was won with McLaren). However, his dream of racing for a legendary team like Ferrari and Mercedes’ struggles in the current ground effect era since 2022 led him to switch teams.Appearing in his debut F1 season with the Maranello-based team, Hamilton’s race weekend in Australia was a big learning experience, especially with the Ferrari SF-25, considering he had never raced in the wet before in a Ferrari F1 car. Despite the race’s chaos, which saw six drivers crash out, Hamilton secured a tenth-place finish. Just enough to be within the points, it was a valuable outing that gave him enough to reflect on with his new team.
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and Toto Wolff of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team looks on during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit…
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and Toto Wolff of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team looks on during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on November 23, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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However, Wolff, who is also a good friend of Hamilton, said that while he kept a watch on the lap times of George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, he was also keeping a tab on Hamilton’s lap times, hinting that he hadn’t moved over from the Briton’s exit. When asked how the first race weekend was without Hamilton, he told the media:”When I was looking at the screens at times, the way I looked at it is like we had three drivers, because I was looking at RUS, I was looking at ANT, and I was looking at HAM…and you realise HAM is actually with Ferrari and is not with us anymore.”The Austrian team boss added that given their long-time association, it has been hard to accept that Hamilton is no longer part of the team. Wolff concluded that while he still cares about him, he stressed that Hamilton was now the competition his team has to beat. He added:”So it still feels… it was such a long time, it’s logic, you cannot just say he’s gone and you don’t care anymore. We very much care how he’s doing, but obviously on track he’s the competition and we need to beat the competition.”2025 Australian Grand Prix Results1. Lando Norris (McLaren)2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)3. George Russell (Mercedes)4. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)5. Alex Albon (Williams)6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)7. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)9. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)10. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)11. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)12. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls)13. Esteban Ocon (Haas)14. Oliver Bearman (Haas)15. Liam Lawson (Red Bull) DNF16. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) DNF17. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) DNF18. Carlos Sainz (Williams) DNF19. Jack Doohan (Alpine) DNF20. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) DNF
