Lewis Hamilton drove his very last race with Mercedes in the season finale in Abu Dhabi. In 2025, he will be leaving the German racing team – after a twelve-year collaboration – for Ferrari. Despite showing a lack of motivation in recent weeks, the seven-time world champion was visibly emotional after the race. After twelve years, an era is indeed coming to an end.
“When he (Bonnington, ed.) said it was ‘Hammer time’, I realized that was the last time I would hear that,” Lewis Hamilton told Sky Sports after the race. “That’s when it really hit me.” Race engineer Peter Bonnington often uttered the now legendary words ‘it’s Hammer time’ when Hamilton pushed during a Grand Prix. However, Bonnington will not be joining Ferrari, making this the last time everyone heard the iconic phrase.
‘A Very Tough Race’
“It was really a very tough race,” Hamilton continued. “Of course, that had everything to do with my poor qualification.” The 39-year-old driver qualified on Saturday – by his own admission due to ‘stupid bad luck’ – only as sixteenth. “I didn’t have such a great start like my future teammate (Charles Leclerc, ed.). The first stint was incredibly difficult, but I never lost hope.” Leclerc impressively drove from the nineteenth place to the podium.
“I didn’t give up and kept pushing,” said Lewis Hamilton. “I thought to myself: ‘Come on, we’ll get there.’ And on the other tires, the car really came to life. We had to finish as well as possible – the team deserved that after all these years.” In the very last lap, Hamilton managed to gain one more position at the expense of Mercedes teammate George Russell. This led to speculation; did Russell not defend his position harder to give Hamilton a fitting farewell gift?
After the race, Hamilton’s car – after the traditional donuts on the straight stretch – was given a place of honor next to the top three. Some fans found this a bit exaggerated, as the British driver is not retiring. However, his move to Ferrari marks the end of a legendary collaboration between a Formula 1 team and a driver. Twelve seasons, eighty-four victories, and six world championships speak for themselves.
