Lewis Hamilton has said goodbye permanently to his now former Mercedes team as he prepares to join Ferrari for the next Formula One season.
Hamilton shook the racing world when he announced before the 2024 season that next year would be his last with the team where he won six of his seven world championships.
His move was an important subplot of the season, which ended in Abu Dhabi last weekend, where the 39-year-old fought his way up the grid to finish fourth, just ahead of team-mate George Russell.
He was very emotional saying goodbye to the Mercedes team at the race, and the goodbyes have continued throughout the week since, concluding on Friday in Brackley.
The headquarters of the Mercedes team, officially named Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, is located in the West Northamptonshire town, and Hamilton and the other faces of the team were present there this week.
Joined on stage by team principal Toto Wolff and Russell, Hamilton took the microphone to thank those in attendance at Mercedes headquarters for all the team’s hard work behind the scenes during their time with the manufacturer.
Lewis Hamilton bid an emotional farewell to Mercedes as he prepares to join Ferrari
Last weekend he competed in his last race in Abu Dhabi: he won 84 in total for Mercedes.
Reports suggest the 39-year-old is taking Italian lessons ahead of the move.
“You know I’m leaving, (but) you guys are going to leave and be much more successful in the future because this is an amazing group of people,” he said. ‘There is so much talent and so much passion here.
‘Anyone would be lucky to work with you. I hope that when I finally stop running, I can come back and visit everyone, and I know we will always be able to look back on these fond memories, what a trip.
“There is no driver in the world who has had this experience with the team, and that makes it much more difficult to let go.” But I take away the best memories. You have been living in my dream and I hope that I have also been living in part in your dreams.
“So thank you very, very much from the bottom of my heart and also my family thanks you for all the dedication over all these years, so thank you all very much and God bless you.”
He also took to Instagram to share several images from the day, including a group photo, his six world championship-winning cars lined up, and an open-top vehicle.
The caption read: “This is really it.” After Abu Dhabi, after Kuala Lumpur and after Stuttgart, it comes to an end here. This has been my home. To the thousands of people working in Brackley and Brixworth, you have been friends and teammates and I can’t thank you enough for all your hard work and support. It’s been real.’
Also present at the farewell were all of Hamilton’s trophies throughout his time with the team. He won 84 races in total with a Mercedes car.
He was crying as he left the factory for the last time, applauded by workers and apparently some fans as a huge fireworks display erupted as night fell.
He was emotional as he left the Mercedes factory in Brackley for the last time.
He will join and be a teammate of Charles Leclerc (pictured) wearing red starting next season.
Hamilton will join Ferrari on a £40m-a-year deal before next year, swapping the black and white for red in a look that fans will get used to.
According La Gazzetta dello SportMeanwhile, Hamilton has been taking Italian lessons ahead of 2025, which is believed to help him acclimatise to the team.
Leaving behind a team, he will look to develop a strong working relationship with the Ferrari group based in Maranellon, which is located in the province of Modena and the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna.
He will be Charles Leclerc’s new teammate, replacing Carlos Sainz, while rookie Kimi Antonelli takes his place in the Silver Arrows.