Lewis Hamilton said he was happy his time with Mercedes “finished on a high” after what he described as “a really turbulent year”.

After beginning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in sixteenth place on the grid, the seven-time champion finished in fourth place, bringing an end to his twelve years of service with Mercedes.

“It has been probably the longest year of my life, knowing from the beginning I was leaving,” Hamilton stated in his statement.

“It’s like a relationship in which you’ve informed whoever the counterpart is that you’re going to stay together for a year, but you’re actually living together.” Today was a day filled with highs and lows, but we finished on a positive note.

After a period of twelve years with Mercedes, which was both the longest and most successful team-driver combination in the history of Formula One, Hamilton, who is 39 years old, will leave Mercedes for Ferrari in the year 2025.After coming out of his vehicle, squatting beside it, and spending some time with his thoughts, he triumphantly celebrated his fourth-place finish by performing doughnuts on the pit straight. He had just passed his teammate George Russell on the final lap, which allowed him to secure the fourth position.

“Each moment I have known it was one of the last and it has been really clear and really hard to let go,” Hamilton stated in his interview.

When I came to a stop, the automobile.” This was a moment that I wanted to savor. Becoming a representative for Mercedes has been the most memorable experience of my life. I just want to express my gratitude to my own spirit for not giving up, as well as to everyone who had the ability to construct that car. It is everyone that I am proud of.

Since the 2021 season, when he was controversially denied a record eighth drivers’ title in the final race of the season, Hamilton has emerged victorious in two races in 2024. These triumphs mark his first victories since the 2021 campaign.

However, he has also experienced challenging weekends, such as the one time he finished 12th in Qatar, which was a week before he competed in Abu Dhabi.

He continued by saying, “We have certainly experienced highs and lows, but what has emerged is that there has been genuine affection.”

“The members of the board who have been there for me and supported me throughout all of these years told me today that even though they were upset at the beginning, they will always consider you a member of the family. It merely demonstrates that there is a great deal of affection between us.