Mercedes’ star, Lewis Hamilton, and his team principal, Toto Wolff, have been the biggest game-changers of the team’s future in Formula 1.

However, behind the camera, quite a lot have never really noticed the two personally spending time together, which might make one wonder, are they really friends or just colleagues?

Well, turns out they are “true friends,” but apparently, Lewis and Toto took a handful of years to consolidate their relationship.

What did Lewis Hamilton say?

Speaking to Gazzetta, Lewis opened up about his colleague-turned-friend, Toto Wolff, and how he managed to build an inseparable bond with him over the years.

“Between 2015 and 2016, there was a period in which our bond really grew. And then consolidated in 2017,” he said.

Toto and Lewis joined Mercedes pretty much at the same time, and hence, were amongst a group of unfamiliar faces. Unfortunately, neither of them had time to bond, considering the team were setting themselves up for the forthcoming hybrid era.

Hence, their goals were entirely on lifting the team up from the rather disappointing position, which the team managed to succeed in; Lewis gifted the team their first-ever world championship title in 2014.

As they entered to 2015, their dominance was still very much intact, which gave the team some time to breathe. This may have been the period when Lewis and Toto bonded, which has remained strong throughout.

We complement each other: Lewis

Lewis revealed that after 2017, the relationship became stronger than ever, as the transparency between the two went up a notch.

Apparently, the two started pointing out each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which consequently helped them improve their on-track performances.

“We began to build a common ground and to discuss in a deeper way, without being afraid to show each other’s weaknesses and also the strong sides of our character,” Lewis said. “I would say that we complement each other. And that we are true friends.”

At the moment, things look like their relationship could fall apart, with Lewis’s future at Mercedes left hanging on by a thread.

So, will Lewis manage to succeed in the contract and continue to lift his friendship with Toto over potentially the next few years? Well, only time will tell.

Read More: Toto Wolff Confesses Relationship With Lewis Hamilton Went Through ‘Difficult Patches’ At Mercedes