Lewis Hamilton emerged from the smoke of his donuts in Abu Dhabi, knelt down subsequent to his Mercedes and patted the facet of the automobile.
It won’t have been the fairytale outcome they wished, however he and Mercedes had nonetheless signed off on a excessive. A Q1 exit partly as a result of a bollard wedging itself underneath his ground made for a troublesome Sunday outlook, however Hamilton was at one thing approaching his finest with a measured drive by way of the sphere, capped with a ravishing transfer across the outdoors of teammate George Russell on the ultimate lap to take fourth place.
“Each second that I’ve received within the automobile this week I’ve identified that it’s one of many final,” Hamilton stated. “It’s been actually, actually clear and actually onerous to let go. I feel after I stopped the automobile I simply wished to embrace the second, as a result of it’s the final time I’m going to step right into a Mercedes and signify them.
“It’s been the best honor of my life. They’ve powered each race, each pole place, each win we’ve had collectively, each championship, so I feel after I knelt subsequent to it … it was simply giving thanks. Firstly, thanking my very own spirit for not giving up and persevering with to push, thanking everybody that powered and constructed that automobile; I’m pleased with everybody.”
All of it got here right down to this — one final second with the automobile, an indication of reverence for a group turned household. Sam Bloxham/Motorsport Photos
The truth that Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari has been identified for therefore lengthy means the shock has subsided, with the Briton likening it to dwelling with a accomplice for a yr after saying you’ll be breaking apart, however he and Mercedes’ ultimate race collectively actually is a landmark second in System 1 historical past.
On the finish of 2012 — when Hamilton had solely been in F1 for 5 years however felt like a McLaren lifer — he took the courageous step to depart his consolation zone searching for a group that will supply an opportunity of extra private freedom and a front-running automobile.
“Clearly, I keep in mind assembly Niki [Lauda],” he stated. “And I keep in mind making the choice … It positively wasn’t as painful and troublesome as this yr has been when it comes to the feelings. I feel as a result of it was on the finish of the yr, it was a lot faster and there wasn’t sufficient time for it to actually settle in for anybody, I feel, throughout the group.
“This one is way more emotional as a result of I’ve been with the group so lengthy and we’ve been by way of a lot collectively.”
His resolution to maneuver groups over a decade in the past was like trying to find the holy grail, and Hamilton definitely discovered it at Mercedes.
Many earlier than failed in that quest. Fernando Alonso is one such driver who’s so usually cited as shifting groups searching for a cheerful house and by no means fairly being in the proper place on the proper time.
However for Hamilton and Mercedes it was an ideal match. A company the place he had a teammate in Nico Rosberg who would push him and guarantee it wasn’t merely his group, but in addition the place his religion in making the transfer had additional galvanized a workforce that was getting ever nearer to changing into a real contender.
When Hamilton began with Mercedes, he was nonetheless maturing. Turning 28 forward of his first season, you may have anticipated him to be in his prime, however this was a driver who nonetheless had loads of growing to do on and off monitor. We simply didn’t understand it on the time.
Complete seasons glided by with Hamilton and then-teammate Nico Rosberg seemingly inseparable. It was a time of nice improvement, culminating in a championship battle that confirmed nice restraint, even on the shedding facet. Steven Tee/Motorsport Photos
The 2014 season had a double-points finale but it surely wasn’t required because the hole between the 2 Mercedes drivers was simply 17 factors earlier than Hamilton wrapped up title quantity two. The third was way more emphatic, however having received the championship early in Austin, permitting Rosberg the chance to win the three remaining races — the primary time Rosberg had crushed his teammate in three consecutive races that each had completed — created momentum that will show powerful to halt.
4 extra wins to start out the season set Rosberg on his approach, and Hamilton’s crown was in danger. A retirement in Malaysia was significantly pricey, however the potential for such a difficulty to be so vital got here from earlier outcomes.
But it was the race that noticed Hamilton lose out on the title that additionally confirmed the extent he operates on. The best way he was capable of manipulate tempo and again Rosberg up into chasing visitors was extremely spectacular, as he by no means went too far together with his strategy to that specific title state of affairs.
Hamilton was irked at Rosberg retiring that winter, as a result of he didn’t get a proper of reply to regain his crown towards the defending champion. However regain it he did in dominant fashion, taking 4 in a row to face alongside Michael Schumacher on seven championships, breaking the German’s file of F1 victories within the course of.
It’s straightforward to be swayed by recency bias, but it surely shouldn’t be neglected that even after lacking out on the 2021 title in such devastating vogue, and combating the brand new era of automobile, Hamilton’s 2024 finale overtake on Russell throughout the ultimate lap in Abu Dhabi ensured he outscored his highly-rated teammate over their three years alongside one another.
The requirements Hamilton set at Mercedes imply that stat nonetheless represents a return to type after he’s been removed from his finest. He admits he struggled with it, particularly because the yr drew on with the data of a recent begin on the horizon.
For a relationship that at all times appeared fairly shut, 2024 introduced an entire new set of challenges for Hamilton and Mercedes group boss Toto Wolff. Steve Etherington/Motorsport Photos
“The primary assembly with Toto at the start of the yr was awkward, after all,” Hamilton stated. “It was awkward from the get-go, to the day after after I took a few of the group paintballing, they usually had simply discovered. I received a number of pictures from individuals, a great deal of bruises — individuals went in on me that day!
“I feel finally I anticipated it might be troublesome, however massively underestimated how troublesome it might be. It was straining the connection very early on and took time for individuals to get previous it.
“Only for my very own self, it’s been a really emotional yr for me, and I feel I’ve not been at my finest in dealing with and coping with these feelings. I feel this yr — so a lot of you have got been right here my complete profession, so that you’ve all seen the worst of me and seen the perfect of me and I’m not going to apologize for both as a result of I’m solely human and I don’t at all times get it proper — I’d positively say this yr’s been one of many worst when it comes to dealing with that from my facet, which I’ll work on attempting to be higher at.
“However I hope the great and the highs far outweigh the negatives and the way I’ve dealt with it or behaved. I simply keep in mind the great occasions. I’ve constructed some unimaginable relationships.
“When you think about, if you’re going by way of a season along with so many individuals, not solely on these race weekends the place you’re using the highs and lows collectively, however of their private lives — by way of marriages, by way of divorces, by way of lack of relations, by way of most cancers, by way of all kinds — you’re going by way of these journeys with these individuals. It’s a very lovely journey you go on collectively, and being [together] so lengthy, the feelings run so deep.”
These feelings will now actually hit as Hamilton prepares to stroll into Maranello within the close to future and begin a model new part of his profession. Simply as Schumacher and Ferrari will endlessly be the memorable partnership overshadowing his late spell at Mercedes, it is going to be nearly unattainable for Hamilton to supply something on the Scuderia that overshadows what he and Mercedes achieved collectively.
It truly is the top of an period — one which will by no means be matched.
