Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes profession fittingly ended with an unbelievable go on the ultimate lap of Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Hamilton handed teammate George Russell on the surface getting into Flip 9 to seize fourth place after beginning Sixteenth.
“Lewis, that was the drive of a world champion,” Mercedes crew principal Toto Wolff instructed Hamilton after the race.
“That was enjoyable,” Hamilton replied.
The partnership between Hamilton and Mercedes is probably the most profitable driver-team partnership in Components 1 historical past. After successful one title with McLaren, Hamilton joined Mercedes forward of the 2013 season, simply two seasons after the automotive producer had restarted its Components 1 crew.
“What began out as a leap of religion become a journey into the historical past books,” Hamilton mentioned to his crew after crossing the end line.
After ending fourth within the 2013 standings, Hamilton received 11 of 19 races to attain his second title in 2014. From there, he received 5 extra titles over the subsequent six seasons and was solely denied by teammate Nico Rosberg in 2016 — a title battle that was some of the dramatic tussles between teammates in F1 historical past. Rosberg abruptly retired after that season.
Hamilton’s seventh championship in 2020 tied him with Michael Schumacher for probably the most world titles in F1 historical past. And he ought to have damaged Schumacher’s document a 12 months later, however F1 followers are nicely conscious of how that didn’t occur in Abu Dhabi as F1 race officers didn’t comply with protocol and Max Verstappen handed Hamilton for the championship and the race win on more energizing tires on a final-lap restart.
That world championship heartbreak nonetheless stings for a lot of Hamilton followers. Particularly given how the final three seasons have gone.
Mercedes’ mistake with its automotive construct forward of the 2022 season led to the primary winless season of Hamilton’s profession. He didn’t win a race once more in 2023 as Verstappen received 19 of twenty-two races.
Hamilton, 39, completed third a season in the past, nonetheless, and signed a two-year contract with the crew that contained an choice for each the crew and the motive force for the second 12 months. Along with his F1 future seemingly safe via 2025, it was a shock when Ferrari and Hamilton introduced on Feb. 1 that he could be declining his Mercedes choice and becoming a member of the Scuderia in 2025 to crew with Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton cited Schumacher’s success with Ferrari when he selected his “new chapter” in F1. Schumacher received his last 5 titles with Ferrari.
“After all, I believe for each driver rising up, watching the historical past, watching Michael Schumacher in his prime, I believe in all probability all of us sit in our storage and see the display pop up, and also you see the motive force within the crimson cockpit and also you surprise what it will be prefer to be surrounded by the crimson,”
“You go to the Italian Grand Prix and also you see the ocean of crimson Ferrari followers and you’ll solely stand in awe of that. It’s a crew that’s not had large success just lately, since 2007, and I noticed it was an enormous problem. Indisputably, whilst a child, I used to play as Michael in that automotive, so it positively is a dream and I’m actually, actually enthusiastic about it.”
Ferrari, nonetheless, have been quicker than Mercedes over the previous three seasons. The crew completed second to McLaren within the constructor’s standings this season and have been three factors again of Mercedes for second in 2023 after beating the Silver Arrows in 2022. In the mean time, you possibly can argue that Hamilton is becoming a member of a crew that’s been quicker with F1’s present automotive laws.
It’s nonetheless going to be extremely odd to see Hamilton in crimson when preseason testing rolls round in a number of months, nonetheless. Like Schumacher in crimson was for Hamilton and plenty of different drivers his age, Hamilton in silver and black is iconic for youthful drivers. His Mercedes teammate George Russell idolized Hamilton as a child and this weekend he had Hamilton signal a replica of a e-book that he tried to have Hamilton autograph over a decade in the past.
The change could in the end be for the most effective, although. Each for Mercedes and for Hamilton. The crew will get to begin over with 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli taking Hamilton’s seat and Hamilton will get the possibility to reset after a grueling three years that haven’t been as much as his requirements after the craziness of the 2021 season finale.
The struggles have publicly worn on him too. After qualifying in Qatar every week in the past, Hamilton mentioned he was when he was four-tenths off Russell’s tempo. That remark got here after Hamilton overtly admitted that he after a making an attempt weekend in Brazil in November.
Regardless of the doubts and up to date qualifying struggles, Hamilton has put in some classic performances. Hamilton practically ran down Russell for the win in Las Vegas, the race that instantly adopted Brazil. And he was unbelievable on Sunday in Abu Dhabi, after a wayward bollard from Kevin Magnussen’s automotive within the first spherical of qualifying relegated Hamilton to a Sixteenth-place beginning place.
Hamilton began the race on onerous compound tires and ran lengthy on his first stint as each different driver wanted to pit and alter their medium tires. The technique transfer allowed Hamilton to make use of the medium tires for his last stint of the race and he made up over 14 seconds on Russell within the closing laps due to the tire distinction.
The aggressive go of Russell was classic Hamilton. And additional proof there’s nonetheless loads of pace and battle left within the driver with probably the most wins and pole positions in Components 1 historical past.
“I really like you guys, I actually actually do,” Hamilton mentioned to his crew.
“We love you too and also you’re at all times going to be a part of that household,” Wolff replied. “And if we are able to’t win, you must win.”
