This weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marks not simply the tip of the 2024 Formulation 1 season, but additionally a number of closing chapters within the sport. Drivers reminiscent of Kevin Magnussen, Zhou Guanyu, and Valtteri Bottas will likely be leaving full-time spots on the grid, whereas Carlos Sainz Jr.’s time with Ferrari will draw to an in depth. Esteban Ocon is leaving Alpine for Haas, and Nico Hülkenberg is leaving Haas to drive for Sauber in 2025.
Then there’s the largest departure of all: Lewis Hamilton’s stunning transfer from Mercedes to Ferrari for the subsequent season.
That transfer brings to an in depth the most efficient partnership in F1 historical past between a staff and a driver, and talking on the FIA Press Convention on Thursday forward of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamilton admitted that it has been a troublesome yr, beginning with the preliminary announcement again in February.
“I imply, the primary assembly with Toto [Wolff] in the beginning of the yr was awkward, in fact. So it was awkward from the get-go, to the day after once I took a few of the staff paintballing,” started Hamilton. “And so they had simply came upon. So I imply, there’s been a great deal of moments by means of the yr… Yeah, I acquired numerous photographs from folks, yeah, a great deal of bruises. Yeah, folks went in on me that day!
“I believe finally I anticipated it could be troublesome, however massively underestimated how troublesome it could be. And it was straining on the connection very early on, took time for folks to get previous it. After which only for my very own self, it’s been a really emotional yr for me,” added Hamilton. “And I believe I’ve not been at my greatest in dealing with and coping with these feelings.
“And I believe this yr, and so a lot of you’ve been right here my entire profession, so a few of you, I believe, you’ve all seen the worst of me and seen the very best of me and I’m not going to apologise for both as a result of I’m solely human and I don’t at all times get it proper, and I’d undoubtedly would say this yr’s been one of many worst by way of dealing with that from my aspect, which I’ll work on making an attempt to be higher at.”
Hamilton then modified gears a bit throughout his remarks.
“However I hope the great and the highs far outweigh the negatives and the way I’ve dealt with it or behaved. And as I stated, I simply bear in mind the great instances, you understand. I’ve constructed some unbelievable relationships. We’ve gone by means of. Should you think about, while you’re going while you’re going by means of a season along with so many individuals, you understand, not solely on these race weekends the place you’re using the highs and lows collectively, however of their private lives, by means of marriages, by means of divorces, by means of lack of relations, by means of most cancers, by means of all kinds. You’re going by means of these journeys with these folks,” described the legendary driver. “So it’s a extremely lovely journey you go on collectively. And being that it was so lengthy, the feelings run so deep.”
Requested about his feelings heading into his last race with Mercedes, Hamilton said that he was feeling “calm,” and looking out ahead to ending on a constructive be aware.
“Fairly calm in the intervening time. Feeling constructive and excited simply to provide all of it this weekend. Each second, like by means of the yr, it’s been, you understand, each single race has been clearly the final time I’ll race and be in that particular place with the staff and I believe as we speak, already from just like the briefings that we’ve had, like, you’re sitting there and also you’re realising these are the final moments with the staff, which is… It’s laborious to explain the sensation,” added Hamilton. “It’s not the best, in fact, however I believe largely I’m simply actually happy with what we’ve achieved. And I’ve a lot satisfaction on this staff.”
When requested about what his lasting reminiscence can be of his time at Mercedes, Hamilton had a captivating reply.
The grins.
“I believe it’s the grins, after we’ve had the success. I believe it’s these moments,” Hamilton stated. “Like I bear in mind one explicit engineer, for instance, I bear in mind our first win in Australia in 2014, I believe it was Australia, and I simply bear in mind him being in tears after we have been on the rostrum. It’s these moments that I take with me. It’s the feelings that we had in Silverstone this yr. It’s all the great bits. Naturally, you largely bear in mind the great bits.
“And I believe it’s simply the… I’m simply extremely proud, but additionally simply so grateful to each single particular person, each which might be right here on the monitor, but additionally again on the manufacturing unit which have simply labored tirelessly and, you understand, been supporting me for all these years from day one.”
Hamilton’s last race with Mercedes will get underway in earnest tomorrow with two apply periods, forward of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.