Emotional farewell and tears for Lewis Hamilton

After the last race for Mercedes

Emotional farewell: Tears from Hamilton

“Thank you” was written on the record champion’s helmet. Lewis Hamilton says an emotional farewell to Mercedes after a rapid race to catch up.

Lewis Hamilton remained in the car after a final, rapid catch-up, then the record world champion knelt next to his Mercedes at a memorable and highly emotional end to Formula 1’s most successful era. While the new vice world champion and final winner Lando Norris cried with happiness, joy and pride and hugged everyone in the team of the new constructors’ world champion McLaren, the spectators kept shouting “Lewis, Lewis” from the stands. And in the Mercedes pit, team boss Toto Wolff also fought back tears.

“It was a trip into the history books. From the bottom of my heart: only the best for you. I love you,” Hamilton radioed beforehand from his car, which had caused him many problems this year. Then he spun smoking tops to fourth place from 16th on the grid. “We love you too,” Wolff radioed back. “And if we can’t win, then you should.” Next year, Hamilton, who has been driving for the Silver Arrows since 2013, will compete in a Ferrari like Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel once did.

The fact that he didn’t switch to the new team champion was mainly due to Norris. This time he showed no nerves, even though the pressure was enormous. Since 1998, the traditional British team has been waiting for the title, which has less prestige in the public eye, but is so immense for the racing teams: the further ahead, the more money there is. In 2008, Hamilton won the Drivers’ World Championship in a McLaren.

“It feels incredible, the team did a fantastic job. It’s perfect to end the season. I’m incredibly proud of everyone on the team,” said Norris. “It was 58 laps of terror,” said McLaren’s managing director Zak Brown, given the tension during the race and fearing that he had already sprained his ankle during the celebrations.

By winning from pole, Norris reduced Ferrari to powerlessness. Second place for Carlos Sainz and third place for Charles Leclerc – from 19th place on the grid – were of no use to the Scuderia. They should have made up 21 points, but they remained 14. Next year Ferrari wants to start the attack on both titles with Hamilton and Leclerc. “I hope so,” said Leclerc: “Lewis has achieved so much in our sport. That will also be a motivation.”

Hamilton competed in almost 250 races for Mercedes. At that time he had replaced the German record world champion Michael Schumacher. The announcements over the radio when he should drive particularly fast became legendary: time for hammer time.

Hamilton celebrated 84 victories in the Mercedes, took 78 pole positions and reached the podium 153 times. He became world drivers’ champion six times in the Silver Arrow, and Mercedes won the constructors’ world championship eight times. “The greatest natural talent in the history of Formula 1,” said Nico Rosberg, Hamilton’s former teammate and World Cup winner (2016), as a Sky expert about the Brit, who had announced his departure before the season.

According to Hamilton, he underestimated what followed. “The emotions come in waves, it’s not always easy to control,” he said at the Yas Marina Circuit. At a first farewell ceremony on Thursday in Abu Dhabi, “half the room cried,” reported Wolff. On Sunday it must have been everyone.