admits he has discovered it “powerful to deal with his feelings” this season together with his 2025 transfer to looming within the background.
The seven-time world champion strikes to the Scuderia subsequent yr and brings the curtain down on a wonderful 12-year stint with , which has introduced him six world championships, this weekend .
Hamilton has however did declare two victories this yr – and Spa – but is positioned solely seventh within the drivers’ standings heading into the ultimate race.
“I anticipated it will be troublesome [this year] however massively underestimated how troublesome,” he stated on Thursday in Abu Dhabi, about his 2024 marketing campaign.
“It [the Ferrari move] was restraining on the connection early on, it took a while for folks to get previous it. It’s been a really emotional yr for me.
“And I’ve not been at my finest in dealing with these feelings. So lots of you will have seen the worst of me and one of the best of me. I’m not going to apologise for both, I’m solely human and don’t get it proper.
“It’s been one of many worst years in dealing with that [those emotions] from my facet. I hope the nice and the highs outweigh the negatives.
“I bear in mind the nice occasions, I’ve constructed some nice relationships.”
Hamilton has loved his justifiable share of highs and lows in Abu Dhabi for Mercedes. Whereas he claimed his second world championship 10 years in the past on the season finale, he missed out on the 2016 and 2021 titles on the Yas Marina Circuit – the latter in to Max Verstappen.
The 39-year-old added that it has been “awkward” at occasions this yr together with his Mercedes colleagues.
“The primary assembly with Toto [Wolff] at first of the yr was awkward,” he stated. “There was a day I took a few of the group paintballing… and I received a variety of pictures and a great deal of bruises! Folks went in on me!
“However I really feel calm in the intervening time. I’m feeling constructive and excited to present all of it this weekend. Immediately after the briefings, we realised it’s the final moments with the group. It’s onerous to explain, I feel principally simply actually happy with what we’ve achieved.:
Requested what he’ll miss essentially the most about Mercedes, Hamilton replied: “The grins. Once we’ve had the success, these moments.
“I bear in mind our first win in Australia in 2014, I bear in mind our engineer being in tears on the rostrum. The feelings at Silverstone this yr, all the nice bits.
“We bear in mind the nice bits. Extremely proud however so grateful to each single particular person whose been supporting me since day one.”
Hamilton is trying to keep away from his worst-ever championship place this weekend. He presently lies seventh within the drivers’ standings and has by no means completed under sixth, however has a tall order to overhaul teammate George Russell, who’s 24 factors forward.
