An emotional Lewis Hamilton admitted it was “hard to let go” to his Mercedes after Formula 1’s most successful driver-team partnership came to a fitting end at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Hamilton, joining Ferrari next season after 12 years, 84 victories and six drivers’ championships with the Silver Arrows, stormed through the field in 2024’s season finale to finish fourth after starting 16th.
After the race, Hamilton performed donuts on the Yas Marina track and then knelt next to his Mercedes car before standing on it to salute the crowd.
The British driver has been doing his best to keep his emotions in check this week but said the “greatest honour of [his] life” concluding started to sink in after the chequered flag.
“Every moment that I’ve got in the car this week I’ve known that it’s one of the last,” Hamilton said. “It’s been really, really clear, and really hard to let go.
“So I think when I stopped the car I just wanted to embrace the moment, because it’s the last time I’m going to step into Mercedes and represent them.
“It’s been the greatest honour of my life, so I think when I knelt next to it it was just about giving thanks, firstly thanking my own spirit for continuing to push, and thanking everyone that powered and built that car. I’m proud of everyone.”
Hamilton has had his Mercedes exit hanging over him all year after informing the team he was leaving Ferrari before a wheel was turned in anger in 2024. He ended seventh in the drivers’ standings this season, the lowest finish of his 18-year career.
But Abu Dhabi, ended with what he described as a “now or never” last-lap overtake on teammate George Russell, showed the seven-time world champion’s mettle and skill.
“It’s not that I need to have confidence. I’ve always had the confidence, but definitely really nice to finish with a strong hard battle,” Hamilton stated. “No mistakes, solid drive.
“It’s been a really turbulent year, probably the longest year of my life, I would say, because we’ve known it from the beginning that we’re leaving. It’s like a relationship, when you’ve told whoever the counterpart is that you’re leaving, but you’re living together for a whole year. Lots of ups and downs, emotionally, but we finished off with a high today.”
Hamilton also got to hear the famous words “it’s Hammer time” one last time from Peter “Bono” Bonnington as his Mercedes engineer and great friend pushed him on in Abu Dhabi.
“I thought, ‘That’s the last I’m going to hear that’ — it really clicked for me in that moment,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1 before expanding on their relationship to reporters.
“I remember I told Bono to say it back in the first year together,” he said. “I was like, don’t tell me just go faster, just say tell me it’s Hammer time and I’ll know what it is.
“And what a roller-coaster ride I’ve had with Bono, he’s been one of my closest friends for many years. It’s something I didn’t expect to have. He’s worked with Michael Schumacher, he’s worked with great drivers, but — as frustrating and painful as it can sometimes be — he’s stood by me every single day without fail.”
Hamilton will be looking to follow in Schumacher’s footsteps by ending a driver’s championship drought for Ferrari, which stretches back to Kimi Raikkonen‘s 2007 title.
The Scuderia were pipped by McLaren in a tight 2024 constructors’ championship battle after Lando Norris‘ victory in Abu Dhabi.
