Lewis Hamilton is done with his emotional farewell to Mercedes in Formula 1 before his move to Ferrari in 2025.
The farewell tour, which began with a visit to Petronas, Mercedes’ title partner, at the energy company’s Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, ended at the Mercedes F1 chassis and engine factories in England, after a passage by Mercedes in Stuttgart
For one final time, Hamilton spoke to the staff of the Mercedes F1 team, with whom he has achieved 84 victories, 78 pole positions, 153 podiums, six Drivers’ World Championships and eight Constructors’ World Championships since his arrival in 2013.
“You know, Mercedes changed my life.”
“I grew up in Stevenage, dreaming of one day being in Formula 1 and becoming a world champion. And back then it was me and both my parents. I didn’t know there would be so many people that I would work with, who would be the ones to cheer me up and take me on this journey to win so many things like that.”
“I will always watch the screens and see where you are at. I will always wish you the best.”
“I believe in you. I will continue to believe in you. And when you have great success again, I will be so proud of you, to know that I was, I hope, a little part of your dream that you also live.”
“So, a huge thank you to all of you. All my love. I want to wish you and your families the best.”
“I’m leaving, you’re going to have a lot more success in the future, because this is an incredible group of people. There’s so much talent and passion here, and anyone would be lucky to work with you.”
“I hope that when I stop racing, I can come back and visit you all, and know that we can always look back on these good memories.”
Reflecting on the success they shared together, Hamilton acknowledged that these accomplishments make “all the more difficult to let go” and move on.
“You know, what a journey. There is no driver in the world who has had this experience with a team, and it is all the more difficult to let go. But I take with me the best memories. You have lived in my dream, and I hope I lived partly in your dream too.”
“So a huge, huge thank you from the bottom of my heart. My family also thanks you for your dedication all these years, so a big, big thank you to everyone. God bless you.”
Looking back on an emotional week of goodbyes, Hamilton added on Instagram: “It’s really here. After Abu Dhabi, after Kuala Lumpur and after Stuttgart, it ends here in Brackley.”
“This is my home. To the thousands of people who work in Brackley and Brixworth, you have been friends and teammates and I can’t thank you enough for all your hard work and support.”
“It was real.”
