Mercedes F1 bid farewell to Lewis Hamilton at Brackley HQ
They held a celebration for the six-time Championship winner last night.
Last updated 14th Dec 2024
Mercedes has officially bid farewell to Lewis Hamilton, who's 11 year stint with the team comes to an end.
Hundreds of fans and staff lined the roads at the team's headquarters in Brackley, as he was paraded along the streets on top of a convertible Mercedes car.
Hamilton is set to join 2024 Constructors runners-up Scuderia Ferrari next year, in a move that sent shockwaves across the F1 community.
It puts an end to over a decade with the German-manufacturer and SIX Championship wins (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020), which saw the Stevenage-born racer win 84 of 246 races.
Also at the farewell in Northamptonshire were all of Hamilton's trophies throughout his time with the team.
He was tearful as he left the factory for the final time, applauded away by workers and fans as a large firework display lit up the skies.
Hamilton held one final debrief at the headquarters alongside teammate George Russell and CEO/team principle Toto Wolff, where he said:
"You know I'm leaving, but you guys are going to go and have so much more success moving forward because this is an incredible group of people.
"There's so much talent, so much passion here- anyone would be lucky to be working with you.
"I hope that when I do eventually stop racing, I can come back and visit you all, and I know we can always look back on these fond memories, what a journey.
"There is no driver in the world that has had this experience with the team, and it makes it that much harder to let go.
"But I am taking with me the greatest memories- you guys have been living in my dream, and hopefully I have been living partly in your dreams too.
"So a huge, huge thank you from the bottom of my heart and, also my family thanks you for all the dedication all these years, so a big thank you everyone and God Bless you."
All of his six championship winning race cars have been put on display outside the factory.
He'll partner up with Charles Leclerc at Scuderia Ferrari for the 2025 season.