Lewis Hamilton is on his farewell tour with Mercedes as he waves goodbye to the Brackley-based outfit after 12 incredible years.
After being with McLaren since he was 13 and spending his first six years with the team in F1 – winning his maiden title in 2008 – Hamilton made the switch to Mercedes in 2013. Not many, if anyone, would have known at the time that the Brit was about to make history with the Silver Arrows.
| Season | Races | Wins | Poles | FL | Podiums | Points | Pos. |
| 2014 | 19 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 384 | 1st |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 19 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 381 | 1st |
| 2016 | 21 | 10 | 12 | 3 | 17 | 380 | 2nd |
| 2017 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 363 | 1st |
| 2018 | 21 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 17 | 408 | 1st |
| 2019 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 413 | 1st |
| 2020 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 347 | 1st |
| 2021 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 387.5 | 2nd |
| 2022 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 240 | 6th |
| 2023 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 234 | 3rd |
| 2024 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 223 | 7th |
After Sebastian Vettel dominated the early 2010s with Red Bull, the turbo hybrid era brought about significant changes to the sport, and Mercedes got the new regulations spot on with their cars from the off when they were introduced in 2014.
The Brackley-based outfit would go on to win the next eight constructors’ titles and seven drivers’ championships from 2014 to 2020 – Hamilton winning six of them.
Ruth Buscombe Divey left ‘crying’ after Lewis Hamilton’s touching message to Sebastian Vettel
After Nico Rosberg retired in 2016 following his championship win, Vettel became Hamilton’s closest challenger for the title at Ferrari. Despite the German’s best efforts, he finished runner-up to the seven-time champion in 2017 and 2018 as he just could not get over that final hurdle to add a fifth championship to his tally.
While they were fierce rivals on the track, Hamilton and Vettel had a strong respect for one another and what each other stand for. Since retiring in 2022, the latter has been seen doing various projects to spread important messages and help save the planet, such as his ‘bees hotels’ at Suzuka in 2023.
READ MORE: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family
While talking about his fellow champion, Hamilton had some touching words for Vettel during an event with Petronas in Malaysia as part of his farewell tour before moving to Ferrari in 2025.
“Seb is the best world champion that I know because he’s far more than a driver. He’s someone with real passion, he’s empathetic and he cares for people,” said Hamilton. “He actually is the only other one that’s tried to utilise his platform for something good.”
Upon seeing these statements, F1 presenter and engineer Ruth Buscombe Divey was left emotional as he posted on her Instagram story: “I’ve just stopped crying why this,” followed by a tearing eyes emoji.
Will Lewis Hamilton follow Sebastian Vettel’s path at Ferrari?
Hamilton will join an elite club of drivers to have raced for Ferrari when he joins in 2025, including Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Vettel.
Joining the Maranello outfit in 2015, Vettel won 14 races with the team before leaving for Aston Martin in 2021. The German failed to reach his full potential with Ferrari, with his time with the team ending in 2020 with his lowest points tally in a full season with just 33.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 Ferrari move from wage to when Mercedes knew
As Hamilton moves to F1’s most successful team in 2025, many have questioned whether the Brit will perform given his struggles with Mercedes during the ground-effect era – his two wins at Silverstone and Spa in 2024 were his first since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Peter Windsor thinks Hamilton will not follow Vettel’s path at Ferrari and will instead create his own path on his new adventure in F1, which is likely to be his last.
Leave feedback about this