'I'm human': Hamilton opens up about his emotions ahead of his big departure

It is a year marked by emotion for Lewis Hamilton who will leave Mercedes at the end of this 2024 season to join Scuderia Ferrari. In Abu Dhabi, it is time for the Briton to say goodbye to the Silver Arrows team. A final, upsetting season after an early announcement of his transfer to Maranello. A piece of news that caused many difficulties for the seven-time world champion, starting with the reaction of Toto Wolff, his team manager : "The first meeting with Toto at the beginning of the year was awkward, of course."

Le Mercedes Team Principal announced the day after this statement that he respected the decision of his star driver despite the surprise of the timing. A reaction that was not shared by the rest of his team, in the incomprehension about his choice: " The day after [the announcement], I took some of the team paintballing and they had just found out. I got hit by a lot of bullets [from] people, which gave me a lot of bruises. People really picked on me that day."

A season of farewells

"I actually expected it to be difficult, but I underestimated how difficult it would be.", concedes the most successful driver on the grid. "Relationships were put to the test very early on. It took a while for people to recover." A complex period that he admits he had difficulty managing: "It's been a very emotional year for me, I haven't been in the best shape to handle those emotions." For Sir Lewis, those who have followed him since his debut at Mercedes have had the opportunity to see "the worst and the best of myself, I'm human and I don't always do the right thing" he adds before concluding: "I would even say that this year has been one of the worst in terms of [emotional] management on my side, which I am trying to improve."

Despite this special season, the Stevenage-born driver hopes that "the good sides and the good times far outweigh the bad", admitting that his ability to manage his emotions and his behavior have not been adequate. The man with 12 Mercedes seasons repeats: “I only remember the good times.”

Leaving McLaren 'wasn't as painful'

One thing is certain: leaving a house that supported him for more than ten years and that allowed him to win six of his seven titles and equal Michael Schumacher is not a simple thing. Compared to his departure from McLaren At the end of the 2012 season, Sir Lewis considered that "It certainly hasn't been as painful and difficult as this year in terms of emotions." He analyses his departure from the Woking team:  “I think because it was at the end of the year, it happened a lot quicker and there wasn't enough time for it to really settle in for everyone on the team.”

Very different exercise with Mercedes: “This time it’s much more emotional because I’ve been part of the team for so long and we’ve been through so much together.” A poignant end after 12 years, 84 victories, 71 km covered (before Abu Dhabi) and 440 world titles.

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