Lewis Hamilton has proclaimed that his experience leaving Mercedes in Formula 1 was “much more emotional” in comparison to when he departed McLaren in 2012.
The curtain came down on Hamilton’s protracted spell with Mercedes last weekend in Abu Dhabi, bringing an end to the most decorated partnership that F1 has seen.
Hamilton made the decision last winter to curtail his extensive association with the German marque to agree a move to Ferrari on a multi-year deal beginning in 2025.
The Briton’s impending venture with the Italian marque will mark the second occasion he has switched sides in F1, having traded McLaren for Mercedes back in 2013.
Hamilton had been tied to McLaren since he was 13 but chose to go having become disillusioned with the team’s recurring failure to mount sustained title challenges.
Hamilton’s move would materialise to be a masterstroke as he went on to take 84 victories and six Drivers’ Championships across his 12-season spell with Mercedes.
The seven-time F1 champion has admitted the relationships he formed in that time made his Mercedes swansong more challenging to process than his McLaren exit.
“Obviously, I remember meeting Niki [Lauda]. And I remember making the decision [to go to Mercedes],” Hamilton told media including Motorsport Week.
“But I don’t really remember the final days, if I’m really honest.
“It definitely wasn’t as painful and difficult as this year has been in terms of the emotions.
“And I think because it was at the end of the year, it was much quicker and there wasn’t enough time for it to really settle in for anyone, I think, within the team.
“Yeah, this one is much more emotional because I’ve been with the team so long and we’ve been through so much together.”
Hamilton picks abiding Mercedes memories
Hamilton concluded his Mercedes career on a high as he surged from 16th place on the grid to come home fourth, passing team-mate George Russell on the final lap.
Asked post-race what his abiding memory will be of his time at Mercedes, Hamilton responded: “There’s so many amazing moments, it’s impossible to say one.
“I think about the times we won championships together, the times we saw, we celebrated together as a team in so many different ways, some of the wins were less exciting for people and you see the engineers just go back to work and some of them really meant a lot; Silverstone this year, the first win, the first championship we had, the losses that we’ve had, the tears you see in certain individuals, times where people have had their head in their hands and then we’ve got back up and pushed and succeeded, there’s too many to mention.
“This weekend, I think what’s evident within the relationship is you have the ups and downs and I think this year we’ve definitely as a team had our ups and downs.
“There’s been certain feelings because I’ve chosen to go a certain way and it’s not been easy for people to accept and to get over but then bit by bit through the year, what’s come through is that there’s real love at the end of the day and I’ve got the board members from Mercedes who have stood by and supported me all these years, who were upset at the beginning, but then today [say] you’ll always be a part of the family.
“So it just shows that love conquers all and I think there is a lot of love between us.
“This weekend on Thursday the team surprised me upstairs and that was super emotional, I ain’t got no more tears really, everything came out there.”
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