Lewis Hamilton admits he has struggled to control his emotions this season as he prepares to bring the curtain down on a glittering 12-year stay at Mercedes.
The 39-year-old, who signed a deal to join Ferrari from 2025 ahead of the season, has won six of his seven world championships with the Silver Arrows but his final campaign with the team has not been plain sailing.
Hamilton made the startling admission in Qatar last weekend that “I am definitely not fast any more” after previously hinting in Brazil that he would not even finish the season with Mercedes.
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His struggles continued last time out, where a string of mistakes and misfortune left him at the back of the field and he asked his team to retire the car.
“It’s been a very emotional year for me and I don’t think I’ve been the best at handling my emotions this year,” Hamilton said at the drivers’ pre-race press conference.
“You’ve seen the best of me and the worst of me, but I’m not going to apologise as I’m human.”
Hamilton admits he did not expect to find the season so challenging, having informed Mercedes and team principal Toto Wolff of his decision to leave ahead of the campaign.
“The first meeting with Toto at the beginning of the year was awkward so it was awkward from the get-go,” he added.
“Ultimately I anticipated it would be difficult but massively underestimated how difficult it would be.
“Realising these are the last moments with the team, it’s hard to describe the feeling – not the greatest of course.”
Hamilton has been beaten by team-mate George Russell in 23 of the 29 qualifying sessions staged this season and is set to finish behind his compatriot in the championship.
This weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be Hamilton’s 246th race with the team, with 84 victories and six world championships under his belt since joining from McLaren in 2013.
“I want to finish the right way with Mercedes, these days will be super emotional. It’s a big unknown looking ahead, obviously massive excitement,” Hamilton added.
“It’s a dream scenario for any driver (joining Ferrari). But it’s not an easy step to join a new team, it takes time to build relationships and learn the tools.”
While Hamilton is set to finish seventh in the drivers’ standings and Mercedes a distant fourth in the constructors’, the battle between McLaren and Ferrari is going down to the wire.
McLaren are bidding for a first crown since 1998 and hold a solid 21-point lead over Ferrari – chasing their first since 2007 – heading into this weekend.
Carlos Sainz, who will be replaced at Ferrari by Hamilton, says winning the championship for Ferrari would be the perfect way to sign off.
“I think it’s the best way to say goodbye to my home these last four years,” Sainz said.
“I’ve enjoyed every single moment with them, and to say goodbye with a constructors’ title would be the perfect sign-off or the perfect goodbye.”
McLaren’s Lando Norris, the main title challenger to drivers’ champion Max Verstappen, is not yet certain to finish second – with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc just eight points behind.
