Lewis Hamilton spent the final days of his Mercedes contract at their factory, where the team celebrated their 12-year partnership.
The Mercedes and Hamilton partnership has been one of the most successful in Formula 1, with the Briton taking six Drivers’ World Championships and winning eight Constructors’ titles.
During that period, Hamilton has also managed to win over 100 races and achieve over 100 poles to put him ahead of the great Michael Schumacher in the all-time statistics list.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff offered some heartfelt words when speaking to the seven-time world champion at his final factory visit earlier in December.
What Toto Wolff said to Lewis Hamilton at final Mercedes factory visit
His final race with Mercedes saw Hamilton produce an impressive comeback drive from 19th on the grid at Abu Dhabi, closing down a 15-second gap on teammate George Russell to pass him in a spectacular last-lap overtake.
Hamilton’s move on Russell left the media centre ‘shaking’ with excitement, while also meaning that he outscored his compatriot in their head-to-head on points in the last three years.
In a post on social media shared by Mercedes, Wolff’s words for Hamilton were revealed at his final factory visit.
“The name Lewis Hamilton will stand for a long time as the greatest and I’ll be telling my grandchildren to be proud of because I was part of Lewis Hamilton’s journey,” said Wolff.
“That’s something we can all be very proud [of]. For however many years you’ve been here, whether it was, a month or 12 years I think Niki [Lauda] would have taken his cap off because this journey with you we all need to pinch ourselves that we were part of your journey with Mercedes.”
Can Lewis Hamilton win his eighth Drivers’ Championship at Ferrari?
Hamilton will be leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari in 2025, where he is expected to challenge for his eighth title.
The Briton was left frustrated by Mercedes’ underperforming car since the switch to ground effects in 2022, with Ferrari acting as a fresh challenge in what is likely the latter stages of his career.
While Ferrari’s form has been sporadic in the last couple of years, the one upside for Hamilton is that F1 will undergo a regulation change for the 2026 season.
READ MORE: The best moments of Lewis Hamilton’s career in Formula 1
This means they will have a fresh start, with Ferrari expected to produce a competitive engine and chassis package given the talent the Maranello-based outfit has poached from Mercedes.
Hamilton will also receive one benefit that he did not get at Mercedes when he joins Ferrari, which includes him having access to Sebastian Vettel’s engineering team.
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