F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Reveals Heartfelt Farewell Gift From Mercedes in Touching Tribute to 7-Time World Champion

Saajan Jogia | Dec 10, 2024

Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton leaves the race after going off the track during the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman via the USAToday Network-Imagn Images / Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman via the USAToday Network-Imagn Images-Imagn Images

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has revealed the iconic crash helmet that he wore during his final race with the team in Abu Dhabi on social media. The helmet, now covered in heartfelt farewell messages from Mercedes team members, became a sentimental memento from his last evening with the team. Hamilton’s 2025 move to Ferrari marks an emotionally challenging transition for both him and Mercedes, given the deep bond they have shared over the past 12 years.

Marking the end of the longest driver-team partnership in Formula 1, Hamilton and Mercedes secured eighth Constructors' Championships and six Drivers' Championships. While the seven-time world champion's intention to end the season on a high seemed like a tough task to achieve after he secured P16 in qualifying, Sunday saw Hamilton in top form.

Starting from P16 on hard Pirelli tires, the Briton charged through the field to finish P4, proving he's still got it in the second stint after switching to mediums. His race engineer, Peter Bonnington (Bono), called for "hammer time," prompting a series of impressive overtakes. The 39-year-old consistently gained nearly a second per lap on the leaders and overtook teammate George Russell on the final lap, ultimately missing the podium by about six seconds to his 2025 teammate, Charles Leclerc.

On Instagram, Hamilton posted images of his crash helmet being signed by Mercedes colleagues. He wrote:

"Nothing like the last day of school. We’ve only just begun to celebrate this era and already I’m speechless. Thank you @mercedesamgf1, I’ll cherish this helmet always."

🫶🏾 @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/GjUxHbGDRo

— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) December 9, 2024

Speaking after the race at the Yas Marina Circuit, Hamilton revealed he was motivated by Bono's golden words, which were a green signal for him to push harder through a challenging race. He told Sky Sports F1:

"I think when Bono said it was 'hammer time' [during the pit stop phase], I did notice in the moment, I was like 'that's the last time I'm going to hear that.' It really clicked for me in that moment.

"It was a really, really hard race - naturally - from where I was, and I didn't get as great a start as this one here [Charles Leclerc], my new team-mate.

"And that first stint was really, really difficult. I wasn't losing hope, I was just like, 'Oh, not going as well as I thought it would.'

"But I just didn't give up, I just kept pushing, like 'Come on, we can get there' and then switched on to the different tyres, and the car came alive - but I had a massive gap to close, so I just focused on just getting absolutely everything from the car and not giving up.

"I wanted to finish on as much of a high and just give every ounce of me to the team, as they've given to me all these years."