Lewis Hamilton’s final race with Mercedes turned into a near-perfect close to his legendary career with the team.
While a difficult qualifying effort saw Hamilton start deep in the field in 16th, the seven-time F-1 champion worked his way inside the top 10 during the early portion of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
A late-race battle with teammate George Russell went Hamilton’s way as he scored a solid fourth-place finish in his 246th and final start with the team before jumping to Scuderia Ferrari next season.
“That was a tough but really enjoyable race,” Hamilton said. “I had to bide my time at the beginning on the hard tire and was struggling to make progress. To come through the field on the medium compound in the final stages felt great though.
“To come through the field from P16 and make it back to P4 was awesome. I’m really happy with how my evening went and how the car felt. It was definitely a good way to end our time together!”
During his cooldown lap, the 39-year-old took a moment to reflect on his 12-year tenure with the organization.
“After the checkered flag, I was focused on just taking it all in, knowing that this was my last time in a Mercedes cockpit and savoring the emotions,” Hamilton reflected. “I want to hold on to that moment, so I just sat there, contemplating everything we’ve been through together, all the ups and downs, and the success we’ve enjoyed.
“I can’t tell you how much I am going to miss this team. I’ve worked with them every day for the last 12 years and there is so much love there.
“That won’t disappear, no matter that we will be racing each other on track next year.”
