ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Atop the Mercedes hospitality unit at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit, Lewis Hamilton with his car as nearby fans toiled in the midday heat Engineer Peter Bonnington sat at a table and did some rehearsals.
They’d gone through this routine many times before – 245 times, in fact – but the 246th time brought with it even more emotion. Twelve years, 84 race wins and six world titles later, marking the most successful driver-team partnership in F1 history, this was Hamilton’s final race weekend as a Mercedes driver.
Hamilton’s conversations with Bonnington, whom Hamilton affectionately calls “Bono” and whom Hamilton compares to a brother, remain as professional as ever. They know there is work to be done. But hours later, the seven-time world champion admitted the chats involved extra emotion.
“You sit there and you realize this is the final moment for the team and it’s… it’s hard to describe the feeling,” Hamilton said. “Of course, it’s not the greatest, but I think the most important thing is I’m very proud of what we accomplished.”
Lewis Hamilton’s “last dance” with Mercedes has been ten months in the making. On February 1, Hamilton announced that he would move He will join Ferrari in 2025, ensuring the 39-year-old has one final sprint in F1’s iconic red car to end his illustrious career. Abu Dhabi is always an important Grand Prix.
But at the end of a difficult year on the track, from the highs of victories at Silverstone and Spa to the lows at the end of the season, both Hamilton and Mercedes are committed to ending with a celebration.
“This is such a wonderful journey that you go on together,” Hamilton said. “And it lasted so long and the feelings were so deep.”
As Hamilton arrived at his home in Oxfordshire for pre-season, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had a taste of what was to come.
Ferrari F1 chief Fred Vasseur, a close friend of Wolff, did not respond to a text message asking if he would “take our driver away” from Carlos Sainz, who Hamilton will replace. )’s father revealed to the Mercedes boss that something might be going on.
Looking back on Thursday, Hamilton admitted that the meeting with Wolff was an “awkward” one, announcing that their partnership was ending. Just eight months ago, they agreed to a contract extension that seemed to reaffirm their commitment, with Hamilton having previously envisaged a contract extension lasting long after his F1 career was over. Together, they are committed to driving long-overdue change for diversity and equality in F1, which is more important to Hamilton than his racing achievements.
It also led him to admit within a year that he had “seriously underestimated” from an emotional perspective. “The relationship was tense from the beginning; it takes time for people to get over it,” Hamilton admits. “For myself, it’s been a very emotional year for me. I don’t think I’ve been at my best in dealing with those emotions.
Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff talk on the grid at Lusail International Circuit on November 30, 2024. )
Hamilton has always worn his heart on his sleeve, as evidenced by the tears shed after ending a two-and-a-half-year win drought at Silverstone. His close relationship with Mercedes has allowed him to remain brutally honest and survive major disappointments – such as his title loss to teammate Nico Rosberg in 2016, or, more controversially, That happened three years ago in Abu Dhabi when he missed out on a record eighth world title.
Wolfe always liked prodding any open wound, as he knew it was often the only way to learn how to improve the situation. He believes Hamilton and Mercedes have “done a good job” in handling the emotions of this year.
“When he made the decision to leave at the beginning of the season, we knew the year ahead could be full of ups and downs,” Wolff said in Qatar. “He knew he was going somewhere else. We knew our future depended on it. Kimi (Antonelli). Through ups and downs we have remained united and that is what we have achieved.
“I’m just slow to react.”
For a seven-time world champion to say these things may seem a bit fanciful. But as Hamilton digested Friday’s tough practice session for the Qatar Grand Prix, he felt a degree of frustration, not feeling the car was giving him the performance he needed. It continues a season-long trend.
For much of the year, the Mercedes W15 didn’t adapt to his driving style and didn’t allow him to get the pace he needed, especially on a single lap. With 23 races into the season, Hamilton trails George Russell 18-5 in qualifying and 24 points adrift in the drivers’ championship.
Hamilton’s comments came a day after he was asked to expand on them when he finished sixth in Qatar qualifying, with Russell nearly half a second faster in second. Did he really mean that he had lost his edge? Is this a sign of the decline that most elite riders and sports stars suffer as they approach their forties?
“I know I still get it,” Hamilton said. “(It’s just) the car isn’t going to go any faster. I definitely know I still have it. It’s not a question in my mind. (I’m) looking forward to the ending.
Lewis Hamilton enters his final race with Mercedes seventh in the drivers’ championship. (Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
This isn’t the first time Hamilton has given such a pessimistic outlook. After the race in Brazil, where he finished tenth in rainy conditions, Russell, who had been gearing up for victory before the red flag, admitted he “could happily go on holiday” rather than make the final Triple play. In Las Vegas, Hamilton seemed frustrated as he qualified 10th while Russell While Er took pole position, he wasn’t the first to lead the team home.
“The last few games, and indeed the entire season, have clearly not been what we expected,” Wolff said in Qatar. “On its worst days, this car is difficult to drive.”
But how much does that hurt Hamilton and not Russell? Wolff partly blamed Hamilton’s driving style. “One of his strengths is that he is always able to brake late and attack corners without the car taking it,” he said, adding that the problem gets worse when grip kicks in in low-speed corners. “Then if the car had slid more and lacked grip, (he) might have suffered more than George.”
In Qatar, Vasseur said he was “not at all” worried about the form of his star signing. “Look at him doing 50 laps in Vegas, starting in P10 (and) finishing with a Russell gearbox,” Vasseur said. “I’m not worried at all.”
Ferrari’s progress this year, recovering from a mid-season slump to compete with McLaren for the constructors’ championship, will also encourage Hamilton, who can reignite his old form. He stressed on Thursday that while his focus remained on Mercedes during the final weekend, he was naturally excited about the next chapter.
“It’s really motivational,” Hamilton said. “It’s a dream for any driver to have an opportunity like this. I don’t take it for granted.
Whenever Hamilton hangs up his helmet and ends his hugely successful career, his time at Mercedes will be the lasting, most defining part of his racing legacy.
He was derided as a mistake in 2012 when he decided to make a shocking move away from McLaren, then one of F1’s leading teams: move into midfield, away from the team that brought Hamilton into F1, and into midfield.
It turned out to be the right move at the right time. McLaren is about to begin a decade-long decline, while Mercedes is about to start a record-breaking F1 dynasty with Hamilton at its core.
The move also allowed Hamilton to become himself. As he approaches his 40th birthday, from a 27-year-old one-time champion to one of F1’s elder statesmen with seven world titles under his belt, his interests and celebrity status extend far beyond the paddock. People are impressed.
Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton sits in his car as he poses with his team ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. (Andrei Isakovich/AFP)
Hanging at the entrance to the Mercedes garage at Yas Marina Circuit this weekend are two large photos of Hamilton, one taken in Hungary in 2013, his first win for Mercedes; The other was taken this year at Silverstone, arguably the most thrilling of his 104-race win record. It read the message: “Every dream needs a team.”
Even the challenges of this year and the difficulties of a year-long farewell will not diminish what Hamilton and Mercedes have created together.
“Nothing can take away these 12 incredible years, which include eight constructors’ titles and six drivers’ titles,” said Wolff. “This will be a memory and after next Sunday we will look back on this great time rather than a particularly bad season or game.
“We’ll have great memories.”
Great memories. historical memory. Their emotions are so heavy they will surely flock to Hamilton when the checkered flag drops and he climbs out of his Mercedes F1 car for the last time on Sunday night.
Above: Chris Graythen/Getty Images, Clive Rose/Getty Images; Design: Mickey Robinson/Competitor
