Hamilton emotional ahead of ‘surreal’ last Mercedes season،
Lewis Hamilton said it was an “emotional” and “surreal” experience to witness his car's final launch as a Mercedes driver before joining Ferrari in 2025.
The seven-time champion shocked the motor racing world earlier this month when it was announced he would leave his contract with Mercedes a year early to join Ferrari early next year.
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Hamilton has driven for Mercedes since the start of 2013, winning six of his seven titles with the team as well as 82 of his 103 race victories.
“It’s obviously been emotional and it’s very surreal to be here,” Hamilton said at the car launch. “I came here in 2013, so 11 years with the team and I’m now on my 12th.
“It’s such a privilege to work with a group of people and see the work they do over the winter.
“We've been through this process for the last couple of years, you see a car come together at the start of the year, and that's really the most exciting part of the season when you see everyone's launches.”
Hamilton has often spoken about his unfinished business with Mercedes after missing out on an eighth title due to former F1 racing director Michael Masi's controversial handling of the final laps of the 2021 season finale.
Since the introduction of new technical regulations in 2022, Mercedes has struggled to remain competitive and last year finished a distant second in the constructors' standings behind reigning champions Red Bull.
Hamilton said he remained determined to help the team return to the front of the grid.
“The goal throughout winter training is to first get the team back to where it once was,” he added. “I think we got through those two tough years, and I think it really grounded us.
“It's now helped us regroup, we've had to look at things again and we're now going through the important process of being really diligent in our work, understanding the data, understanding the car.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said the team was determined to end its partnership with Hamilton on a high note, starting with the car's first laps during a shakedown at the Silverstone circuit in UK Wednesday.
“Obviously this will be our last season with Lewis, so we want to have a very fast car,” he said. “In the factory there was hard work to bring the product which today we will see how it unfolds.
“I don't remember us all being so interested in finally starting the car and seeing how it handles. It's a complete relaunch of a car, it's very different, not only on the aerodynamic surfaces, but underneath there are so many things.” We've made a lot of mechanical changes that we hope will result in more performance so the drivers can really attack.”
