Deal caused a stir

Hamilton: “I will not apologize”

Lewis Hamilton drives his last race for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi.(Bild: AFP or Licensors)

Record Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has admitted mistakes in his dealings with his switch from Mercedes to Ferrari. However, he will not apologize, the Briton made clear.

"I expected it to be difficult, but I underestimated it overall. It took a while for people to get over it," said the 39-year-old before his last race in the Silver Arrow on Sunday in Abu Dhabi, commenting on the response to his then surprising move. The Briton had announced his transfer to the Scuderia at the beginning of the year.

Lewis Hamilton(Bild: APA/AFP/Patrick T. Fallon)

"I'm not going to apologize, but this year has been one of the most difficult in terms of how I've dealt with a situation like this," Hamilton added. It had been "weird" in the team from the day after the transfer was announced.

Lewis Hamilton(Bild: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Hamilton drove for the German car manufacturer for a total of twelve seasons and won six of his seven drivers' titles in the Mercedes. He wants to make another attempt to become the sole record champion in the Ferrari in 2025. He is still on a par with Michael Schumacher in terms of world championships won.

Dream scenario
"It's a dream scenario for any driver to have such an opportunity," said Hamilton about the chance with the Italians, adding: "I'm not thinking about comparing myself to Michael. That doesn't matter to me right now."

Because at the moment he is experiencing emotional days anyway. "You sit there and realize that these are the last moments with the team. It's hard to describe this feeling. Overall, I'm very proud of what we've achieved as a team." Above all, he will remember "the laughter when we were successful".