Lewis Hamilton admits he has found it “tough to handle his emotions” this season with his 2025 move to Ferrari looming in the background.
The seven-time F1 world champion moves to the Scuderia next year and brings the curtain down on a glorious 12-year stint with Mercedes, which has brought him six world championships, this weekend at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Hamilton has struggled for form in recent weeks but did claim two victories this year – in Silverstone and Spa – yet is positioned only seventh in the drivers’ standings heading into the final race.
“I anticipated it would be difficult [this year] but massively underestimated how difficult,” he said on Thursday in Abu Dhabi, about his 2024 campaign.
“It [the Ferrari move] was restraining on the relationship early on, it took some time for people to get past it. It’s been a very emotional year for me.
“And I’ve not been at my best in handling those emotions. So many of you have seen the worst of me and the best of me. I’m not going to apologise for either, I’m only human and don’t get it right.
“It’s been one of the worst years in handling that [those emotions] from my side. I hope the good and the highs outweigh the negatives.
“I remember the good times, I’ve built some great relationships.”
Hamilton has enjoyed his fair share of highs and lows in Abu Dhabi for Mercedes. While he claimed his second world championship 10 years ago at the season finale, he missed out on the 2016 and 2021 titles at the Yas Marina Circuit – the latter in controversial circumstances to Max Verstappen.
The 39-year-old added that it has been “awkward” at times this year with his Mercedes colleagues.
“The first meeting with Toto [Wolff] at the start of the year was awkward,” he said. “There was a day I took some of the team paintballing… and I got a lot of shots and loads of bruises! People went in on me!
“But I feel calm at the moment. I’m feeling positive and excited to give it all this weekend. Today after the briefings, we realised it’s the last moments with the team. It’s hard to describe, I think mostly just really proud of what we’ve achieved.:
Asked what he will miss the most about Mercedes, Hamilton replied: “The smiles. When we’ve had the success, those moments.
“I remember our first win in Australia in 2014, I remember our engineer being in tears on the podium. The emotions at Silverstone this year, all the good bits.
“We remember the good bits. Incredibly proud but so grateful to every single individual whose been supporting me since day one.”
Hamilton is looking to avoid his worst-ever championship position this weekend. He currently lies seventh in the drivers’ standings and has never finished below sixth, but has a tall order to overtake teammate George Russell, who is 24 points ahead.
