Last weekend Formula 1 race in Abu Dhabi race was special for various reasons, including Lewis Hamilton's final race with Mercedes, ending his 12-year tenure with Mercedes-AMG Petronas, the most successful partnership in Formula 1 history: six Driver's Championship in a seven year span (2014-2020), 84 wins as well as eight constructors' titles for Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton, aged 39, is tied with Michael Schumacher as the only F1 driver with seven World Championships. His first victory was with McLaren in 2008.
Over the past weekend, Mercedes has paid tributes to Hamilton, posting an emotional video emphasising how Hamilton pushed the boundaries as being the first black driver in Formula 1, back in 2007.
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Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari next year
In his final race with the Mercedes-AMG F1 W15, he achieved a remarkable fourth place, climbing 12 places from his P16. The race was ruled by Lando Norris, with Ferrari getting closer than most ancitipated to the constructor's title, which ended up going to McLaren - curiously, Hamilton's former team.
It didn't matter much in terms of points, but it was another example of Hamilton's persistance. "I just wanted to finish on as much as a high, and just give every ounce of me to the team as they've given to me all of these years", he said.
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"I'm going to miss them - I can't tell you how much I'm going to miss them", he said, recorded in F1 website, adding that all of his F1 races have been powered by Mercedes.
To some, Hamilton's finest days are behind him, after two seasons (2022 and 2023) with no victories. But last season he achieved two more wins, including a record breakier ninth victory at his local British Grand Prix.
Next year, Hamilton is starting a new chapter in Ferrari, taking Carlos Sainz's spot -who joins Williams- and running alongside Charles Leclerc. In 2025, Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, just 18, will make his debut in Formula 1 in his place.