After 12 years, Lewis Hamilton is no longer a Mercedes F1 driver. During that tenure, he has gone on to win six more Formula One titles and shattered Michael Schumacher’s win tally. Admittedly, some would argue that 2021 should have been his eighth title, but that is a whole story unto itself. Unfortunately, 2024 has not been particularly kind to him and his swansong year has ended on a sour note.

It truly is the end of an era, but not the end of Lewis Hamilton’s F1 story. The next chapter is due to begin in 2025 when he moves to Scuderia Ferrari. Driving for Ferrari would be a dream come true for so many F1 drivers. After the Schumacher era, the likes of Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, and Sebastian Vettel realized this dream. Following Hamilton’s last race with the team, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had some words for Hamilton.

How did the final exchange between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes go?

Despite the struggles of the ground-effect era, Hamilton and his team principal Toto Wolff, have a lot of mutual respect. So when he finished the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 4th place, Wolff had to send him one last message. During the cool-down lap, Wolff declared that Hamilton performed the drive of a champion, and was really proud. Even his race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington couldn’t help but feel emotional.

On the radio, Hamilton declared that he had fun during the race. Bono wished him luck and then it was Toto Wolff‘s turn on the radio. He said, “We love you too. You’re always going to be part of that family. If we can’t win, you should win.” Toto Wolff referred to the fall from glory Mercedes experienced in the last few years. Having dominated the first half of the turbo-hybrid era, Toto Wolff and Co. tasted defeat at the hands of Max Verstappen in 2021, right on the cusp of the ground-effect era.

With the new regulations in effect in 2022, Mercedes revealed their designs with the zero side-pod concept. Although it was unconventional, given their mastery over the car’s aerodynamics, fans expected the revolutionary design to pave the way for dominance. Instead, it turned into a nightmare. The car kept bouncing on the straights. The fix to this was a higher ride height in the setup, which effectively meant the car was not as competitive as it could be. For Lewis Hamilton, it meant an unwanted record.

2022 and 2023 saw Lewis Hamilton go on a winless streak for the first time in his career. Instead, he had to deal with the back issues that came with a car constantly bouncing on the track and poor results that left fans yearning for more. The respite came this year, as F1 headed to the UK for the British GP, Hamilton’s home race. Against all odds, he managed a win there, restoring his glory on the track and marking a tearful final home race with Mercedes.

With Hamilton heading to Ferrari next year, he will be one of Toto Wolff’s rivals. However, Wolff’s message for the 7-time champion reminded them of their work together. Outside of the 8 Constructors titles, Wolff and Hamilton cemented their legacy as one of the greatest driver-team pairings, one where Wolff fought for Hamilton, and vice versa. Speaking about his time with Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton made an emotional statement on his farewell tour. He went on to say, “We’ve achieved so much more than we ever thought were possible. These 12 years are something I will never forget, and, through the highs and the lows, it is always felt that we are a family.” 

It will certainly be odd to see Hamilton in a red color scheme after years of him lifting the trophy with the Silver Arrows.

What lies ahead for the British Legend at Ferrari?

In all honesty, an F1 seat at Ferrari is almost like a bucket list achievement for many racers. As Sebastian Vettel once said, “Everyone is a Ferrari fan. Even if they say they are not, they are a Ferrari fan.” Now the big question is, can Lewis Hamilton do what Fernando Alonso and Vettel himself could not achieve at the Italian team?

He will have a very strong teammate alongside him, in the form of Charles Leclerc. Both drivers are incredibly competitive and Scuderia Ferrari is not a team to be underestimated. In 2024, it was the Red Bull and McLaren show for much of the season. However, Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were there to spoil the party more often than not. For Hamilton, in addition to the competition, the bigger priority would be getting used to Italian culture entirely.

He said, “It’s gonna be new. It’s also daunting because it’s new territory, it’s a new experience, and will be a challenge. But, you know, I love challenges. I expect it to be massively different. I mean, the two teams I’ve been with have been British teams. So I’m going into a completely different culture in Italy. If you think about us Brits, we’re very quiet and more calm when you have success, when you have difficult days, everyone’s kind of more chilled out whereas Italians are much more emotional.”

As for Mercedes, the organization is back on youth, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli stepping up. The Italian rookie has big shoes to fill and will have to hit the ground running, alongside teammate George Russell.