‘This is really it’ – Lewis Hamilton’s poignant message to Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes garage in front of the team’s logo

On the eve of his final Grand Prix as a Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton admits it is “really hitting” him that this is goodbye to the team with whom he celebrated unprecedented success.

After 12 years, 245 races, six World titles, and 82 Grand Prix wins, Hamilton has one last hurrah as a Silver Arrows driver before he leaves Brackley to join Ferrari.

One last hurrah for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes awaits

Statistically the most successful partnership ever in Formula 1, Hamilton and Mercedes have been through the wringer in the last three years as the team has struggled with the ground-effect aerodynamic cars.

It meant that after he lost the 2021 World title to Max Verstappen in trying circumstances, Hamilton suffered a 945-day barren run before winning this year’s British Grand Prix. He added a second victory in Spa to bring his tally to 105 wins, 82 as a Mercedes F1 driver but all 105 with Mercedes power.

However, the highlights reel in the last three years has been lacking, prompting Hamilton to throw the dice one last time in his Formula 1 career when he announced at the beginning of the year that he’ll be racing in red in 2025.

He admits it’s really hitting him hard now knowing that this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is his last as a Mercedes F1 driver.

“This is really it,” he wrote on Instagram. “My last race with Mercedes AMG F1.

“What we’ve built together over the years is nothing short of historic. People doubted me making this move in 2013, and here we are now. The records we’ve broken, the championships we’ve won, it all speaks for itself.

“This won’t be the last time I thank Mercedes, but going into my final race with this team is really hitting me now.

“It’s really the end of an era in my life, in my career, for the team, and in F1 history. I’m proud of what we’ve created, I’m proud of every single person that been part of this with me.

“Thank you. It’s been real, now let’s go again one more time.”

Earlier in the week Wolff posted a message on Mercedes’ website, calling for one last hurrah as the Brackley squad said farewell to their six-time F1 World Champion.

“This weekend is a celebration,” he wrote. “A celebration of everything that we have accomplished together. Lewis’ association with Mercedes goes back 26 years. Every lap of his career so far has been powered by the three-pointed star.

“We will honour this unparalleled story in Abu Dhabi and across the following week as we visit Kuala Lumpur, Stuttgart, then finally Brixworth and Brackley. And honour it knowing that, while this phase of our relationship is coming to an end, Lewis will always be a part of our family.

“For now, though, our full focus is on the race weekend. There is no better way to mark the end of our time together than with a strong performance on the track. The entire team is focused on adding one more highlight to the reel. We also want to end the season on the front foot.

“Thank you, Lewis: for one final time, let’s do this.”