Hamilton ends Mercedes era with cheers, tears and a rousing drive

AFP | Abu Dhabi

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Lewis Hamilton ended his glorious 12-year spell at Mercedes with cheers and tears on Sunday after finishing a rousing fourth from starting 16th in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion, who will turn 40 before he races with Ferrari next season, stirred emotions with his driving and his words after a classic recovery drive that saw him pass team-mate George Russell on the final lap.

“When he (race engineer Pete Bonnington) said ‘hammer time’ I did notice, in the moment, that it was the last time I’m going to hear that,” said an emotional Hamilton afterwards.

“It really clicked for me in that moment.

“It was a really, really hard race naturally where I was, I didn’t get as great a start as this one here, my team-mate next season (pointing to nearby Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc) and the first stint was really, really difficult.

“I wasn’t losing hope, but it just wasn’t going as well as I thought it would.

“I didn’t give up, I kept pushing and thinking ‘come on, we can get there’ and switched on to the different tyres and the car came alive. I wanted to finish on as much as a high and give every ounce of me to the team as they have given to me all these years.”

Before spinning ‘donuts’ in his car to the cheers of a chanting crowd and posing for photographs with individual team members, Hamilton had spoken eloquently of his feelings and his love for the ‘silver arrows’ team in radio exchanges.

“That was the drive of a world champion,” said Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff.

“The drive of a world champion. Amazing!”

Bonnington said: “Stellar drive today bud, it’s been a pleasure all the way.”

Hamilton replied: “The pleasure’s been mine. We dreamed alone, but together we believed and as a team we achieved things, thank you for all the courage, the determination and the passion for seeing me and supporting me.