CAROL’S CORNER: Lewis Hamilton’s Last Dance with Mercedes

© LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

By Carol M. Creasey

Right up until there was action on the track in Abu Dhabi – Lewis Hamilton’s last race with Mercedes – tributes were pouring in, and emotions were high amongst Hamilton fans.

The emotional farewell reminded the fans that he will not be around forever, but right now he is merely changing teams. The desire to see him go out on a high note in his final lap with Mercedes was imperative for the fans, and social media was alight with pleas from the fans to Mercedes to give Lewis a car he can fight with, one final time.

During free practice it looked as if the pleas from the fans may have been answered, as Lewis looked very fast in all sessions, and beat his team mate in every session. Excitement amongst his followers was growing, could he end his iconic time at Mercedes in the best way possible?

But, as has happened at other times this year, fate was not on the Briton’s side. Hulkenberg hit a bollard, which lodged itself under Lewis’s car in Q1 of Qualifying. With his performance now gone, he had to settle for 18th position. The fans were mortified at such bad luck, although Lewis himself was composed when being interviewed afterwards. He explained it was disappointing, as his car seemed to have good pace.

Later, Toto Wolff took full responsibility for sending Lewis out at the wrong time. After holding his head in his hands, the Austrian was full of anguish. His apology to Lewis was heartfelt. He explained the team had sent him out too late, and there was no time left to do another lap.


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The fans were so frustrated, their anger was directed towards Toto and the team, all their hopes for Lewis had evaporated so quickly, but of course nobody could have known that the bollard would fly underneath his car. It was just another hurdle for Lewis to overcome, and he would once again have to fight his way up the grid to achieve any sort of decent result.

On race day the weather was fine. When Lewis was interviewed during the drivers’ parade he was excited for the challenge of fighting from the back of the grid, and vowed to put on a good show in his last race. He started from 16th position, and was up to 12th by lap 3. By lap 18 he was 6th. What the fans wanted more than anything, was to hear Bono tell Lewis it was now ‘hammer time’, a phrase that has been used so much in the past, but not lately because the car just wasn’t fast enough. So, when Bono came over the radio to tell him that his team-mate was 14 seconds up the road, but because his pace was so strong, he could beat him, our fearless Briton set to work to hunt him down.

Lewis drove his heart out, whilst the fans watched with bated breath as the gap came down. Then on the very last lap, Lewis made his move, he had raced from 16th position to 4th, just missing out on the podium, but definitely outdrove the car. Norris was 1st, Sainz 2nd, and a fine drive from 19th gave Leclerc 3rd and the Driver of the Day honours.

After the race Toto praised Lewis highly, calling it a drive of a champion, and Bono came on the radio, his voice clearly charged with emotion, and said: ”It’s been a pleasure to work with you mate.” Lewis, sounding equally emotional, then thanked him and everyone from the Mercedes team for helping him to achieve all the success he has had.



Mark Webber from Channel 4 was vociferous in his praise of Lewis, not only as a driver, but also as a person who cares about others, and wants to make a better future, which is inclusive for everyone. When Lewis himself was interviewed, he seemed to be taken aback about all the love that has been showered on him. In spite of his epic success, he remains a very humble man, and seems unaware of the sort of global impact he has made. There were crowds of excited fans following behind as Channel 4 representatives walked through the paddock talking to him, and the outpouring of love was clear for everyone to see. Later when the Channel 4 pundits were reflecting on his best moment of the year, the consensus was that his iconic win at Silverstone was the standout moment.

Fans will not see Lewis in a Ferrari until February. He said, while in the past he wanted to be remembered for his driving and race wins, he now hopes he will be remembered for his work on Mission 44 and inclusion. He does not want anyone to go thorough the bullying and racial prejudice that he did as a child.

All his fans will be wishing him well at Ferrari this year, and if they give him a good car, he will be fighting for his eighth championship. This was something Toto wanted him to win at Mercedes, and maybe he could have done that had they remained together until the big rules change in 2026. But, things did not turn out that way and now he has an opportunity to make history with Ferrari. Mark Webber recently stated that ‘Sir Lewis Hamilton is Formula 1’, and few can argue with that. Stats don’t lie. In Abu Dhabi we have witnessed the end of a very special era, and now onwards and upwards Sir Lewis! We win and lose together!

Carol has recently written a book titled “Sir Lewis Hamilton’s Final Lap with Mercedes: 2024”. It is her unofficial account of Lewis’ final season with Mercedes. The book will be released on February 14, 2025, and you can pre-order your copy on Amazon.co.uk!

Be sure to follow Carol on X @eagertogo and visit her website www.carolmcreasey.com!

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