End of an Era: Lewis Hamilton Reflects on 12 Years with Mercedes as He bids farewell, Preparing for a New Beginnings at Ferrari.

Hamilton says final farewell to Mercedes in an emotional message.

Having brought his 12-year spell at Mercedes with a sensational recovery drive at the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to an end, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton made his final farewell to the Brackley-based outfit.

Lewis Hamilton announced his shock departure from Mercedes on the 1st of February. The announcement caught the Formula One community by surprise, as the seven-time world champion was set to race for the Brackley-based outfit until the end of 2025.

However, an exit clause in his contract allowed Hamilton to leave the team in 2025 if he wished, and the Briton elected to terminate his contract at the end of the current season and seek for a new challenge at Ferrari next year.

Hamilton is statistically the most successful driver in the history of Formula One, tied with the great German seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher on the number of world championship titles.

Commenting on his final visit at Mercedes’ German headquarter, the seven-time world champion said: “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 who work at Brackley and Brixworth, you have been friends and teammates and I can’t thank you enough for all the hard work and support.”