Lewis Hamilton ended his superb 12-year spell at Mercedes with cheers and tears on Sunday after ending a rousing fourth from beginning sixteenth within the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion, who will flip 40 earlier than he races with Ferrari subsequent season, stirred feelings together with his driving and his phrases after a basic restoration drive that noticed him cross team-mate George Russell on the ultimate lap. “When he (race engineer Pete Bonnington) stated ‘hammer time’ I did discover, within the second, that it was the final time I’ll hear that,” stated an emotional Hamilton afterwards. “It actually clicked for me in that second. “It was a extremely, actually onerous race naturally the place I used to be, I did not get as nice a begin as this one right here, my team-mate subsequent season (pointing to close by Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc) and the primary stint was actually, actually troublesome.
“I wasn’t shedding hope, but it surely simply wasn’t going in addition to I believed it could.
“I did not hand over, I stored pushing and considering ‘come on, we are able to get there’ and switched on to the completely different tyres and the automotive got here alive. I needed to complete on as a lot as a excessive and provides each ounce of me to the group as they’ve given to me all these years.”
Earlier than spinning ‘donuts’ in his automotive to the cheers of a chanting crowd and posing for images with particular person group members, Hamilton had spoken eloquently of his emotions and his love for the ‘silver arrows’ group in radio exchanges.
“That was the drive of a world champion,” stated Mercedes group chief Toto Wolff.
“The drive of a world champion. Superb!”
Bonnington stated: “Stellar drive immediately bud, it has been a pleasure all the best way.”
Hamilton replied: “The pleasure’s been mine. We dreamed alone, however collectively we believed and as a group we achieved issues, thanks for all of the braveness, the dedication and the fervour for seeing me and supporting me.
“What began out as a leap of religion was a journey into the historical past books. We did every thing collectively and I am so grateful to everybody again on the manufacturing facility from the underside of my coronary heart. All the perfect.”
Bonnington added: “It has been a tremendous journey and I am so grateful to have been part of this chapter of your life and better of luck for the subsequent one.”
In a last remark, group boss Toto Wolff stated: “We love you too and also you’re at all times going to be a part of the household. And if we won’t win, you need to win.”
In 12 seasons, Hamilton began 246 races with Mercedes, a file for a driver with a single group. He received 84, secured 13 different podium finishes and claimed 78 pole positions and 6 of his seven drivers’ world championships.
In a last social media publish, he wrote: “It has been actual. I like you all.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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