Lewis Hamilton signed off from Mercedes with a storming drive through the field to gain 12 places and fall just short of the podium at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
It was the performance worthy of a seven-time champion who moves to Ferrari to write what is expected to be the last chapter in his Formula 1 story.
Peter Windsor doesn’t believe Ferrari signed Hamilton for commercial purposes he may bring as a result of being a seven-time champion.
The Brit’s outstanding race pace was on show at various stages towards the end of the year and showed that he still has plenty of speed in his locker.
Felipe Massa says Hamilton faces a similar problem to Michael Schumacher during his final years as an F1 driver, as age catches up to him.
The only thing which indicates Massa may be right is his qualifying pace. Ex-teammate George Russell beat him by 24-6 including Sprint Race qualifying sessions, showing that there is some work to do over one lap this winter.
He’ll need to be on form to face new teammate Charles Leclerc who showed in 2024 that he can be devastatingly quick, picking up third in the Drivers’ Championship.
Peter Bonnington calls Lewis Hamilton ‘selfless’ and ‘special’ outside of public viewing
The conclusion of Hamilton’s 11-year partnership with Mercedes signalled the end of the sport’s greatest dynasty.
No combination of team and driver has ever won six Drivers’ titles together, let alone title doubles with Constructors’ Championships to add to the collection too.
Hamilton’s emotional Mercedes factory farewell just shows what sort of connection he had with everyone at the organisation.
READ MORE: Ralf Schumacher explains why Lewis Hamilton might be ‘in danger’ of not fulfilling his Ferrari contract
His race engineer Peter Bonnington told Martin Brundle for Sky Sports F1 that hidden from the public eye, he commits selfless acts and is a special person.
“Really special. Obviously, talent is another one, and just a great human being. Just some of the things that he does, not in the car, but outside of the car,” he said.
“The way that he carries himself, not necessarily in the public eye, but just with some of the things that I’ve seen him do. I think that’s a real selfless act, really impressed me there.”
Can Lewis Hamilton win an eighth F1 world championship with Ferrari?
Timing is everything in most sports, and it feels like Hamilton’s move to Ferrari is almost timed to perfection.
He joins the Italian outfit while they are firmly in the ascendancy after falling short in the Constructors’ Championship race by just 14 points.
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton told he needs to ‘get rid’ of one thing before he starts racing for Ferrari next season
There’s a great personal affinity between team boss Fred Vasseur and both drivers who are terribly eager to win again.
It marks a great opportunity for Leclerc to learn from Hamilton and elevate his skillset to a new level in time for a title charge.
Things could come together very well in 2025, but if things go wrong pressure will build quickly and tensions could arise.
