'Journey into the history books': Lewis Hamilton leaves Mercedes after six titles and 246 F1 races

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Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes with one last overtake and a heartfelt message to the team where he won the Formula 1 title six times.

“We dreamed alone but together, we believed,” Hamilton told race engineer Peter Bonnington and team principal Toto Wolff over the radio.

"Thank you for all the courage, the determination and the passion, and for seeing me and supporting me. What started out as a leap of faith turned into a journey into the history books."

Hamilton is moving to Ferrari for 2025 after 12 years at Mercedes, where he won all but one of his seven career drivers’ championships. It was the most successful partnership between a team and driver in F1 history, and it ended with a pass on teammate George Russell for fourth place on the very last lap.

After the finish, Hamilton span his car into celebratory “donuts” for the crowd before climbing out for the last time and giving a double thumbs-up to chants of “Lewis.” He then crouched beside the Mercedes and patted the car.

Hamilton's move to Ferrari will see the British driver, who turns 40 next month, continue to seek an elusive eighth world title. That's something he was denied in 2021 in Abu Dhabi when Max Verstappen overtook on the last lap after a safety-car restart. It remains one of the most controversial moments in F1 history.

It's been nearly 10 months and an entire season since Hamilton's decision was announced in February, and he's admitted that his impending departure was a strain on his relationships within the team.

Hamilton started his 246th and last race with Mercedes from 16th on the grid after misfortune in qualifying that drew an apology from Wolff.

Hamilton made it up to 12th in the early laps but found it hard to progress from there. “I've got no pace, mate,” he said over the radio. It seemed like Hamilton's unlucky run in recent races was going to continue and cast a shadow over his farewell.

Gradually, however, things started to go his way. The strategy call to start on the more durable hard tire and finish on the faster medium compound paid off, and Hamilton gradually climbed through the field as other drivers had to pit.

A podium finish was even possible at one stage, Mercedes hoped, but Hamilton had to make do with catching Russell on the last lap. Still, “that was the drive of a world champion,” Wolff told Hamilton over the radio.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing