End of an F1 era as Lewis Hamilton prepares for final race with Mercedes

By: Double Apex

This weekend marks the end of an era in F1 as Lewis Hamilton leaves his long-time home at Mercedes-AMG. The Brit has served as the team’s lead driver for 12 years and this will be his last F1 race with the team.

Many people questioned his move from McLaren to the German outfit, one that seemed like a gamble at the time. He was convinced by team advisor, Niki Lauda, to make the move, and the partnership has proven to be the most successful driver and team combo in F1 history.

Since joining the Silver Arrows, Hamilton has netted six drivers’ world championships, eight constructors’ titles, 84 wins, 78 pole positions and a whopping 153 podium finishes. In 2021 he became the first driver to register triple digits for wins and pole positions. He now has a record 105 victories, 104 pole positions and 202 podiums to his name.

"This is really it. My last race with Mercedes AMG F1. What we’ve built together over the years is nothing short of historic," Lewis Hamilton said on Instagram.

"People doubted me making this move in 2013, and here we are now. The records we’ve broken, the championships we’ve won, it all speaks for itself. This won’t be the last time I thank Mercedes, but going into my final race with this team is really hitting me now.

"It’s really the end of an era in my life, in my career, for the team, and in F1 history. I’m proud of what we’ve created, I’m proud of every single person that (has) been part of this with me. Thank you. It’s been real, now let’s go again one more time," Hamilton added.

It was announced at the start of this year that Hamilton signed to race with Scuderia Ferrari from the start of the 2026 season until the close of the 2028 campaign. The Brit replaces Carlos Sainz, who is heading to Williams, in the red team where he will partner the talented Charles Leclerc.

Recent form will give Hamilton plenty to look forward to as he swaps his seat in the Silver Arrow for a Prancing Horse. Ferrari has shown good pace throughout the season, claiming five victories and many podium finishes along the way. Ferrari has a really good chance of claiming the constructor’s title this weekend, a feat it last managed in 2008.

By winning with McLaren and Mercedes, Hamilton has achieved what none of his peers have: claiming titles with two different teams. This is a feat that Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button or Max Verstappen have not achieved. The last champion to pull this off prior to Hamilton was Michael Schumacher (Benetton and Ferrari). Incidentally, the two men have the same number of titles with seven apiece.

Record Breaker

Since his debut in 2007, Hamilton has set numerous records in Formula One. We’ve already mentioned the wins, poles and podium finishes. He also has the most wins at a single circuit and a single GP taking nine victories at the British GP all at Silverstone. Lewis has raced in 29 countries, winning in 26 of them. He has claimed victory at 31 of the 39 different Grand Prix he has competed in, and at 31 of the 38 tracks. He also has most pole positions at the same Grand Prix (9, Hungary), most front row starts and most races as championship leader (126).

Should Hamilton claim a title at the Scuderia it will be a record-setting eighth. A driver’s crown will also also be the first for the Italian outfit since Kimi Raikkonen, who won the title in 2007. Netting the ultimate reward in the next three years will also be the third different team he’d have achieved the feat with. This will elevate his status and cement his place as one of the all-time greats, if not the greatest F1 driver of all time.

From the Boss

“This weekend is a celebration. A celebration of everything that we have accomplished together. Lewis’s association with Mercedes goes back 26 years. Every lap of his career so far has been powered by the three-pointed star. We will honour this unparalleled story in Abu Dhabi and across the following week as we visit Kuala Lumpur, Stuttgart, then finally Brixworth and Brackley. And honour it knowing that, whilst this phase of our relationship is coming to an end, Lewis will always be a part of our family,” Toto Wolff, CEO and team principal of Mercedes-AMG F1.

* This article originally appeared on Double Apex and is used with their permission