Hamilton Unveils His Ultimate Goal Before Departing Mercedes

As he gears up for his high-profile move to Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton shares that clinching a concluding victory with Mercedes, propelling them to the front of the grid once more, would be his ultimate honour.

The Formula 1 world was taken aback two weeks ago when it was revealed that this season would mark Hamilton’s 12th and final year with Mercedes, setting the stage for his departure.

Choosing to exit his two-year agreement with Mercedes prematurely, Hamilton has decided to embark on a new chapter with Ferrari, signing a multi-year contract with the iconic racing team.

Formula One History Recommends

A dream farewell with the team

However, for now, Hamilton remains dedicated to his role at Mercedes.

This commitment was evident during a pre-season event, with the seven-time World Champion making his presence felt at Silverstone for the unveiling of the brand-new W15, followed by a test run alongside his teammate George Russell as part of their sponsorship duties, which included on-track filming.

Despite the challenging wet conditions at Silverstone, Hamilton’s spirits were high, underlining his relentless pursuit of success and desire to leave Mercedes on a high note.

“I feel the most motivated and focused I’ve ever been. Every year you come back you’re like I’m fitter than ever and all these other things,” he said.

“But I genuinely feel I put more work, more time, and more focus into preparation this year.

“I never thought that at this point in my life I would have hunger like I do right now.

“And to finish on the high with the team, it would be a dream. We’ve gone through a whole heap together. So to finish on a high, it would be the greatest honour to be able to help them get back to the top.”

After the launch and filming day on Wednesday, Mercedes will proceed to Bahrain for a three-day pre-season testing session starting on 21 February.

This will mark the first time the W15, equipped with a new chassis, gearbox casing, and a notably unique front wing, will be tested on the same track with its competitors.

“Next week I’m really excited,” Hamilton added. “We get to Bahrain, especially two weeks before the first race, so that’s where you get to see all the other cars come out of the garage.

“You get to see and compare and look at the detailing between different cars and then you’ll get to experience out with other cars on track.

“But mostly you get to experience what the car is like and every year there’s a different characteristic.

“And so it’s the discovery of those characteristics and then figuring out how to hone them in that and finess it.”

Hamilton secured six of his seven World Championships with Mercedes, a partnership that triumphed in 82 Grand Prix races.

Seen in:

Latest

Lee is our staff writer specialising in anything technical within Formula 1 from aerodynamics to engines. Lee writes most of our F1 guides for beginners and experienced fans having followed the sports since 1991, researching and understanding how teams build the ultimate machines. Like everyone else on the team he listens to podcasts about F1 and enjoys reading biographies of former drivers.