© Finn Pomeroy for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Lewis Hamilton has attended the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Thursday Drivers’ Press Conference. Here is the full transcript!
Q: Lewis, welcome. Your last weekend as a Mercedes driver, how are the emotions?
LH: Pretty calm at the moment. Feeling positive and excited just to give it all this weekend. Every moment, like through the year, it’s been, you know, every single race has been obviously the last time I’ll race and be in that specific place with the team and I think today, already from like the briefings that we’ve had, like, you’re sitting there and you’re realising these are the last moments with the team, which is… It’s hard to describe the feeling. It’s not the greatest, of course, but I think mostly I’m just really proud of what we’ve achieved. And I have so much pride in this team.
Q: Can I ask you more about that? Because when you look back at your 12 years with Mercedes, all 246 races, what’s going to be your abiding memory?
LH: I think it’s the smiles, when we’ve had the success. I think it’s those moments. Like I remember one particular engineer, for example, I remember our first win in Australia in 2014, I think it was Australia, and I just remember him being in tears when we were on the podium. It’s those moments that I take with me. It’s the emotions that we had in Silverstone this year. It’s all the good bits. Naturally, you mostly remember the good bits. And I think it’s just the… I’m just incredibly proud, but also just so grateful to every single individual, both that are here at the track, but also back at the factory that have just worked tirelessly and, you know, been supporting me for all these years from day one.
Q: Lewis, how different does this moment feel to when you left McLaren at the end of 2012?
LH: If I’m honest, I don’t really remember the… Obviously, I remember meeting Niki. And I remember making the decision. But I don’t really remember the final days, if I’m really honest. I don’t really know. I’ve got a really bad memory, as you know. It definitely wasn’t as painful and difficult as this year has been in terms of the emotions. And I think because it was at the end of the year, it was much quicker and there wasn’t enough time for it to really settle in for anyone, I think, within the team. Yeah, this one is much more emotional because I’ve been with the team so long and we’ve been through so much together.
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QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports) A question for Lewis. You kind of alluded to it there, Lewis. It’s been a long goodbye. You knew from the start of the year you’d be leaving. So did the team… I think Toto said he anticipated maybe a bumpy road. Did it get awkward at any point, now we’re at the end of that road? And was it the key relationships enduring which enabled it to… It’s looked on the surface as if it’s been OK throughout the year in terms of keeping a kind of balance within the team and not having any kind of fallouts or friction?
LH: I mean, the first meeting with Toto at the beginning of the year was awkward, of course. So it was awkward from the get-go, to the day after when I took some of the team paintballing. And they had just found out. So I mean, there’s been loads of moments through the year… Yeah, I got lots of shots from people, yeah, loads of bruises. Yeah, people went in on me that day! I think ultimately I anticipated it would be difficult, but massively underestimated how difficult it would be. And it was straining on the relationship very early on, took time for people to get past it. And then just for my own self, it’s been a very emotional year for me. And I think I’ve not been at my best in handling and dealing with those emotions. And I think this year, and so many of you have been here my whole career, so some of you, I think, you’ve all seen the worst of me and seen the best of me and I’m not going to apologise for either because I’m only human and I don’t always get it right, and I would definitely would say this year’s been one of the worst in terms of handling that from my side, which I’ll work on trying to be better at. But I hope the good and the highs far outweigh the negatives and how I’ve handled it or behaved. And as I said, I just remember the good times, you know. I’ve built some incredible relationships. We’ve gone through. If you imagine, when you’re going when you’re going through a season together with so many people, you know, not only on those race weekends where you’re riding the highs and lows together, but in their personal lives, through marriages, through divorces, through loss of family members, through cancer, through all sorts. You’re going through these journeys with these people. So it’s a really beautiful journey you go on together. And being that it was so long, the emotions run so deep.
Q: (Nelson Valkenburg – Viaplay) We started this week with the news that we’re going to lose the Dutch Grand Prix after 2026. A lot of you have driven at Zandvoort a lot – I know Lewis, in particular, in 2005, winning the Masters of F3. But a question for all three of you. Should a track like Zandvoort be able to stay on the calendar or given the financial difficulties they have, is it a logical question now that they leave?
LH: So much time to think about what to say. I mean, I agree with the comments so far. I mean, I think it’s really sad to be losing Zandvoort, particularly if you look, the crowd is incredible there. There’s such a huge following, obviously, mostly for Max, but in general, the fans are what make the sport what it is. And then there are several races in the calendar – I’m not going to mention which ones, but you know which ones – which don’t have a lot of people that come, yet financially, obviously, they can cover, I guess, whatever the cost is. So I don’t know. I think the business is doing very, very well. And I think we’ve got to make sure we hold on to the heritage races, which Zandvoort, for me, is one of those.
Q: (Mariana Becker – TV Bandeirantes) Sorry, Oscar, but I have to ask for these two guys again. I was, not surprised, but I was very touched when I saw this week again, a reward, a gala night, a reward which was given to Nelson Piquet. And he was thanking everyone, but mainly he was being very emotional when he was talking about the mechanics of his life as a driver. From all this time of you in Ferrari and you in Mercedes, the guys who are not in the spotlight, you know, who are on the background, do you remember any special moment that they saved you or they made you overcome any situation that you could mention them? Too complicated a question?
LH: I think that’s not really a huge amount more for me to add, but they are the unsung heroes. And all credit goes to should go to the team because they are the soldiers that really are on the front line. They’re the ones there weekend in, weekend out. And yeah, I’m not really sure what else to add. The team is everything. And the bonds between every person in the team, there’s not one person in the team that’s more important than the other. Everyone needs to be rowing in the same direction and pulling their weight, which they do. It’s a real privilege to see people operating at their best, especially when everyone does gel together. There’s certain points you don’t always get it. It’s not always perfect rhythm, but every now and then you get that synergy and you have this amazing performance together. It’s quite special.
Q: (Laurent Dupin – Canal+) A question for you, Lewis. To be honest, we need an answer from you to talk about Ferrari. So, we broadcast during the winter. So may I ask you to explain your challenge in trying to do next year what Michael did, but what other world champions did not achieve, like Alonso, Vettel, and Prost? And we will use it later.
LH: I mean, I’m not looking at comparing myself to Michael. Not looking at that. At the moment, that’s not something that I’m thinking about. Obviously, I’m trying to think about making sure that finish off the right way and the best way possible with Mercedes. These next days are going to be super emotional. It’s all a big unknown for what’s up ahead. Obviously, massive excitement. And yeah, I can’t really add much more at the moment. I don’t have anything else to say about it.
Q: (Samarth Kanal – The Race) Lewis, it seemed four years ago, the world was finally paying attention to the push for equality and justice for black people in particular. And you’ve done a lot of work on that with Mercedes. How do you reflect on your legacy in that regard and the progress that’s been made by this motorsport and the world in general?
LH: I mean, I can’t really say too much about the world. But I mean, it’s because it’s still a bit of a mess, right? But I’m really, really proud of the work, I’m incredibly proud of the work that we’ve done at Mercedes, for example, in terms of the steps we’ve taken, the investment from Mercedes, everyone stepping up and really being a part of and being open to change. The team is far more diverse than it ever has been. It’s far more inclusive, very open-minded. And our hope was that in doing so, the rest of the sport would follow. And I think it has, we’ve just seen Formula 1 and the FIA and all the teams see the importance of it and now be on board. And so I’m really, that’s one of the things I’m probably most proud of is being a part of sparking that. And I’m truly grateful for everyone that’s now on board. And I feel like the sport then is moving in the right direction, so.
Q: (Ben Hunt – Autosport) Lewis, I just wondered how important this move to Ferrari is at this stage in your career. You mentioned you struggled a little bit this year, but timing is everything. Does it give you re-motivation and fire to move forward? And Carlos, just a quick one. What can Lewis expect at Ferrari? And have you given him any tips?
LH: Of course it really sparks motivation and it’s a dream scenario for any driver to have an opportunity like this. So, don’t take that for granted. Also, you know, massive respect for Carlos and everything he’s done within the team. And I realise it’s a steep… You know, I remember when I joined Mercedes, and it’s not an easy step to ever enter into a new team. And it takes time to build new relationships and learn the tools and everything. Coming into next year with that same focus, that same might that I had when I joined Mercedes and with ultimately that leap of faith, I think is exciting and exhilarating.
Source: FIA.com
