Lewis Hamilton Anticipates Subdued Mercedes Farewell as Historic Legacy Endures

Lewis Hamilton has indicated that his concluding race with Mercedes, scheduled for this weekend in Abu Dhabi, is improbable to provide the triumphant farewell he and the team had hoped for. Hamilton, who will transition to Ferrari for the 2025 season, stated, “I don’t think it will end on a high,” adding, “It’ll end. What’s important is we turn up and give it our best shot.” Hamilton’s final season with Mercedes has been challenging, a difficulty that has intensified as the season approached its conclusion. His arrival in Abu Dhabi follows last weekend’s race in Qatar, where he remarked at one stage that he was “definitely not fast any more” and ultimately placed 12th after incurring two distinct penalties. This result capped a season marked by frustration, as Hamilton was consistently outperformed in qualifying by his team-mate George Russell. While two victories at Silverstone and Spa—his first in two and a half years—represented high points, they have had minimal impact on his overall disposition. Nevertheless, both Hamilton and Mercedes maintain that a subdued conclusion to their collaboration will not diminish the entirety of their shared accomplishments. Team principal Toto Wolff commented, “When he took the decision to go, we knew it could be a bumpy year ahead. It’s normal.” Wolff continued, “He knows he will go somewhere else. We know our future lies somewhere else. And to go through the ups and downs and still keep it together is something we have achieved.” He further added, “He wears his heart on his sleeve and you express your emotions and that is absolutely allowed. Nothing is going to take away 12 incredible years. That will be in the memory, rather than a season or races that were particularly bad.” Collectively, Hamilton and Mercedes stand as the most accomplished team-driver pairing in the history of Formula 1. Following his arrival in 2013, Mercedes secured eight consecutive constructors’ championships, seven drivers’ titles—six of which were claimed by Hamilton—and 120 grands prix victories. Hamilton has established himself as the most successful driver of all time, achieving six of his seven championships with Mercedes, 84 of his 105 race victories, and 78 of his 104 pole positions. His remaining triumphs occurred with McLaren during its tenure as Mercedes’ works team. The upcoming year, his 19th in Formula 1, will mark his inaugural season not competing as a Mercedes driver. The team intends to transform this weekend’s grand prix—staged on a circuit where Hamilton has triumphed five times, surpassing any other driver—into a commemoration of their joint achievements. This celebration will take place at the venue where Hamilton’s run of success with Mercedes abruptly concluded amidst the contentious title-deciding race of 2021. Three years prior, Hamilton was poised to secure a record eighth championship, having led the race from its inception, until race director Michael Masi’s incorrect application of rules during a late safety-car period. Masi’s choices to disregard protocol regarding the management of lapped vehicles and the timing of a restart led to Max Verstappen overtaking Hamilton upon the race’s restart for a single final lap, resulting in a change of the championship title. Following a winter during which Hamilton contemplated withdrawing from F1, he and Mercedes commenced the subsequent season still affected by the perceived unfairness of that day, yet resolved to rectify what they considered an injustice. Instead, they have struggled, failing to master the new technical regulations implemented for 2022. This absence of competitive performance contributed to Hamilton’s choice to depart for Ferrari, a team he had consistently aspired to join at some stage. The catalyst was that during his contract negotiations in the summer of 2023, Wolff initially sought to offer him only a one-year agreement to maintain flexibility regarding the future of his driver roster, given Hamilton’s approaching 40th birthday. They reached a compromise on a one-year contract that included an option for an additional season. However, Hamilton desired a longer tenure in F1. Consequently, when Ferrari extended an offer last winter, presenting a significant salary increase—reportedly $65m (£41m) annually at Maranello—and a more extended commitment, Hamilton accepted. Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin, who has been one of Hamilton’s closest colleagues over the years, remarked, “It was a brave and bold decision,” adding, “but you can totally understand why he’s done it.” Shovlin explained, “He wanted to drive for more years than we were prepared to commit to. He wanted to have another chapter in his career that was about Ferrari, and it’s a great challenge for him.” He further noted, “As well as driving, he is still making an impact on the sport and diversity within the sport. He has more he wants to do there, and it’s far easier for him to do that from the driving seat. He has such a prominent voice globally.” Shovlin concluded, “That is a big part of his objectives, as well as winning races and hopefully winning the eighth championship.” At the time Hamilton decided to depart Mercedes, he had not secured a race victory for two years, making his return to the podium’s pinnacle at the British Grand Prix in July a welcome event for both the team and the driver. Shovlin stated, “It was just lovely to be a part of it, particularly in Silverstone. It was lovely to see him up there. It was lovely to see what it meant to him.” He added, “It was nice having known how difficult it had been for him to sort of keep asking that question: ‘Have I won my last race?’ Not knowing whether it’s ahead of him.” Shovlin concluded, “Ultimately you do it for those memories. That’s why the sport’s so fun and addictive and enjoyable. It’s being part of moments like that.” Generally, however, this concluding season has featured more setbacks than successes. Witnessing the F1 all-time pole position record-holder encounter such significant difficulties over a single lap has been as perplexing for observers as it has been for Hamilton himself. Hamilton commented, “Car control is not an issue and the issue is not in my driving,” adding, “I don’t believe it is necessarily a set-up thing. I only know so much.” Throughout the year, Hamilton has consistently cited a lack of confidence in the car’s rear as the core problem. “It’s very unpredictable,” he stated in Las Vegas last month. “The floor’s working and then it stops and starts. That’s been the problem.” Shovlin explained, “If you look for a common theme, we have a car that is difficult to turn in the slower corners, and the way the drivers have to turn it is by sliding the rear on the way in and sliding the rear on the power on the way out.” He continued, “That adds [tyre] temperature, and dealing with that problem Lewis has found quite difficult.” Shovlin further remarked, “You could argue that Lewis was head and shoulders the best in the previous set of regulations. He certainly found driving the cars second nature.” He elaborated, “Lewis would set up the car so that, as the [rear of the] car came up [during braking] and you gained pitch, it would help you turn the car, and he relied on those elements. And that was how you generated performance in the previous set of regulations.” Shovlin concluded, “He has struggled more with the way these cars run. These cars you need to run lower, you need to run stiffer, they are banging into the ground more, you haven’t got as much movement in the platform from low to high speed.” Hamilton’s enduring impact with Mercedes extends beyond his on-track achievements and record-breaking feats. He has spearheaded initiatives promoting greater diversity and inclusion, not only within Mercedes but across Formula 1 entirely. As the sole black driver in F1 and its most renowned personality, Hamilton possesses an unparalleled platform, which he has been resolute in utilizing for positive change. Hamilton stated, “The thing I am most proud of,” adding, “when I think about what I leave behind, I hope in a positive way, is the work we have done with diversity and inclusion.” He continued, “From the first moment sitting down with Toto, him and the whole team being open-minded. They have all gone on diversity and inclusion courses.” Hamilton further noted, “We have a very diverse team now, which is something I am really grateful to have been a part of.” He recounted, “I said to Toto: ‘When I leave the team, there is going to be no-one in the room having these cool conversations with you, because I am the one, and I hope you continue them.’ And he said he would.” Wolff commented, “He was definitely someone who gave impulses and changed things and did things.” He added, “Mercedes knows its responsibility on the topics of diversity and fighting racism or antisemitism. That has been always something we were absolutely targeting, and this is the responsibility of the group also.” Wolff concluded, “When he came, we were looking at things from different angles and different perspectives he provided to us.” Among other initiatives, Mercedes has launched a program named Accelerate 25, which mandates that 25% of all new employees originate from under-represented backgrounds. Shovlin stated, “His influence will have left indelible marks on our team,” adding, “Not just the work he has done promoting diversity in this team and more widely within F1. But just the values he has, how he goes about his work, his commitment. He’s very open and honest with his emotional side.” He continued, “It’s been brilliant that he had the energy to continually do that. Because that wasn’t something