Fernando Alonso picked up th🏅e phone to call Toto Wolff when he heard that Mercedes would have a s𓆏hock vacancy.

Mercedes boss Wolff has recounted the whispers leading up to Lewis Hamilton’🤡s announcement that he would eꦿxit the team.

Hamilton will embark on 𒊎a new journey with Ferrari in 2025.

“I wasn’t shocked at all,” Wolff told a🌜bout Hamilton visiting him to tell him the bad news.

“I knew this was happening a f𝄹ew weeks earlier when I got a phone call from Carlos Sainz and his father.

“He said: ‘Something is cooking.’ I said: ‘Wh🌄y would that happen before the start of the season?’

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

“I think i🌊t started from Leclerc knowing over the winter a🃏nd then his closest allies hearing there was a seat free.

“I said to Susie: ‘This is happening ♏without us of✨ficially knowing.’”

Wolff sent a message to Ferrari counterpart Fred Vasseur, who is also a close friend, which went unanswered꧅.

He chose not to confront Hamilton personally.

“I did not want to put him in a situation where he had to lie to me b🏅ecause atꦿ that stage the contract wasn’t signed,” Wolff said.

Hamilton wi𝄹ll seek a record eighth F1 championship wi🐠th Ferrari in 2025.

Mercedes will briꦍng in rookie Kimi Antonelli, while Ge♚orge Russell will become their senior driver.

“There is an emotional side because we’ve bee🌄n on this journey together,” Wolff said a🌠bout Hamilton.

“The frie💯ndship will change, but not the depth of emotion. On the contrary. This will be a new friendship with Lewis.

“On the professional side, I always see benefits in 🥃change.

“We have new regulations, wꦏe have reshaped our organisation and we’re embarking on a new era with our senior driver t🔯urning 27 and the junior driver being 18.

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