The weekend that seemed like it would never come is now just around the corner. This Sunday in Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton will race his last Grand Prix as a Mercedes driver before moving to Ferrari in 2025—one of the most talked-about team changes in motorsport history. This ends the most successful driver-team partnership ever. The numbers, as of the Qatar Grand Prix, are astounding: 245 Grands Prix, 84 wins, 153 podiums, 78 pole positions, and six world championships. All are records—no driver has ever achieved such figures with a single team.
The debates that flared up at the end of 2012 now seem laughable. Back then, Lewis Hamilton left McLaren for a team that had just finished fifth in the Constructors’ Championship. The move appeared driven solely by financial motives, sparking predictions it would ruin his sporting career. In hindsight, it was arguably the most successful market move in Formula 1 history.
Lewis Hamilton’s Social Farewell
Hamilton addressed even those who doubted him in a brief Instagram post, thanking the team he has called home for over a decade and with whom he became an icon, at times eclipsing even Formula 1 itself.
“We’re really here now,” wrote Lewis Hamilton, sharing a video highlighting his best moments with Mercedes. “This is my last race with Mercedes. What we’ve built over the years is nothing short of historic. People doubted me when I made this move in 2013, and look where we are now. The records we’ve broken and the championships we’ve won speak for themselves.
This won’t be the last time I thank Mercedes, but heading into the final race with this team hits differently. It truly marks the end of an era in my life, in my career, for the team, and for F1 history. I’m proud of what we’ve created, and I’m proud of every single person who’s been part of this with me. Thank you. It really happened—now let’s go out and do it one more time.” – he concluded ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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