Toto Wolff was reportedly left 'aghast' after learning that Lewis Hamilton would leave Mercedes to join Ferrari.
The Mercedes team principal only learned of the news on Tuesday, just two days before for the Brit's departure was announced.
Hamilton will drive for Mercedes for a 12th and final season in 2024 before moving to Ferrari in 2025.
The 39-year-old only signed a new contract last August but will cut that deal short in order to fulfil the dream of most drivers.
Toto Wolff was left aghast by Lewis Hamilton's impending exit to Ferrari
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It has been confirmed that Hamilton will become a team-mate of Charles Leclerc, with Carlos Sainz leaving Ferrari at the end of this year.
Mercedes released a statement on Thursday evening confirming Hamilton had triggered an early exit clause in his contract.
Wolff also gave his reaction, where he said he accepted Hamilton's decision after more than a decade of working together.
However, the Daily Mail claims he was privately shocked to be told that the seven-time world champion would be leaving.
Wolff and Hamilton formed a formidable team during the height of Mercedes' success, with the Brackley-based side winning seven consecutive constructor's championships between 2014 and 2020.
The Austrian paid tribute to Hamilton's impact on Mercedes but admitted the partnership would always end one day.
Wolff said: "In terms of a team-driver pairing, our relationship with Lewis has become the most successful the sport has seen, and that’s something we can look back on with pride.
"Lewis will always be an important part of Mercedes motorsport history.
"However, we knew our partnership would come to a natural end at some point, and that day has now come.
"We accept Lewis’s decision to seek a fresh challenge, and our opportunities for the future are exciting to contemplate.
"But for now, we still have one season to go, and we are focused on going racing to deliver a strong 2024."
Hamilton has won six of his seven world championships since joining Mercedes from McLaren in 2013.
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Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff have had a hugely successful partnership at Mercedes
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He narrowly missed out on a record-breaking eighth title in 2021 following a hugely controversial final race in Abu Dhabi.
Max Verstappen has left Hamilton in his wake in the last two years, with the Brit failing to win a race.
Hamilton believes the time is right for him to take on a new venture.
He said: "I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I'm so proud of what we have achieved together. Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old.
Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes and join Ferrari in 2025
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"It's a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make.
"But the time is right for me to take this step and I'm excited to be taking on a new challenge.
"I will be forever grateful for the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto for his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together.
"I am 100 per cent committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows, one to remember."
