Lewis Hamilton Speaks Out On 'Lots Of Turbulence' Within Mercedes F1 Team

Saajan Jogia | 12 Hours Ago

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team driver Lewis Hamilton (44) of Team Great Britain speaks to the crowd during a fan forum before the Sprint Race in the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari next year, has reflected on a turbulent season with the Brackley outfit following his unexpected announcement of the 2025 switch. The decision left many within Mercedes upset, but the seven-time world champion shared that, despite the initial friction, things ended on a positive note as the team gradually came to terms with his departure.

The pursuit of his eighth title, coupled with Mercedes' inability to provide him with a consistently competitive car in the current ground-effect era, drove Hamilton to sign with Ferrari. Additionally, racing for the sport's oldest and most iconic team is a dream for many drivers. While Mercedes' W15 showed flashes of competitiveness this season, allowing the 39-year-old to secure two Grand Prix victories, much of the year was marked by struggles with pace and grip.

Adding to his challenges was the emotional impact of the Ferrari announcement on his team. Hamilton admitted that the period was fraught with ups and downs, as it strained relationships with colleagues he had worked alongside for so many years. Many had expected Hamilton to retire with Mercedes, which might have made his Ferrari move seem almost rebellious to some. After all, parting ways after a 12-season partnership that delivered six Drivers' Championships and eight Constructors' titles was a difficult reality for many to accept.

Opening up on his "really really really long year" to Channel 4 as quoted by PlanetF1, Hamilton was asked if the move to Ferrari had sunk in yet. He said:

“It hasn’t, honestly.

“I remember at the beginning of the year when I was printing off the contract and couldn’t believe that it was actually happening.

“It’s been a really, really, really long year. Tough to firstly go with the announcement and then obviously the relationship.

“Lots of turbulence, lots of ups and downs with people that I’ve been working with for many, many years.

“Managing that was really, really, really tough through the whole year. There’s so many people and it’s affected everybody.

“To go through this low, turbulent time and then come back and get to a point here where love just comes through.

“Beyond the upset and people [saying] ‘I can’t imagine you in red’ to now just [saying to me] ‘I wish you all the best, thank you so much for everything we’ve done’ and tears.

“It’s really beautiful. Honestly, I’m forever grateful to this team, every member that’s here, every member back in the factory, it’s been the honour of my life to be a part of it.”

He laughingly added:

“I can’t believe that I’m going to be in red next year. It looks good on me, so hopefully I can make that work.”