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Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor
Lewis Hamilton stated it was an “emotional” and “surreal” expertise to attend his final automobile launch as a Mercedes driver earlier than shifting to Ferrari in 2025.
The seven-time champion shocked the racing world earlier this month when it was introduced he would depart his Mercedes contract a 12 months early to affix Ferrari at first of subsequent 12 months.
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Hamilton has pushed for Mercedes because the begin of 2013, successful six of his seven titles with the staff in addition to 82 of his 103 race victories.
“It is clearly been emotional and it’s extremely surreal to be right here” Hamilton stated on the launch of the automobile. “I got here right here in 2013, so 11 years with the staff and now beginning my twelfth.
“It’s such a privilege to work with a gaggle of individuals the place you see the work they’re doing over winter.
“We have gone via this course of over the past couple of years, you see a automobile come collectively in the beginning of the 12 months, and it is probably the most thrilling a part of the season actually whenever you see everybody’s launches.”
Hamilton has typically talked about his unfinished enterprise with Mercedes after he missed out on an eighth title because of the controversial dealing with of the ultimate laps of the 2021 season finale by F1’s former race director Michael Masi.
For the reason that introduction of recent technical rules in 2022, Mercedes has struggled to stay aggressive and final 12 months completed a distant second within the constructors’ standings to reigning champions Purple Bull.
Hamilton stated he has remained dedicated to serving to the staff return to the entrance of the grid.
“The main focus via the entire of winter coaching is first to get the staff again to the place we as soon as had been,” he added. “I believe we have had this troublesome couple of years, which I believe has been actually grounding for us.
“It is now helped us regroup, we have needed to relook at issues and it is now simply going via the essential means of being actually diligent with our work, understanding the info, understanding the automobile.”
Mercedes staff principal Toto Wolff stated the staff was decided to complete its partnership with Hamilton on a excessive, beginning with the automobile’s first laps throughout a shakedown on the Silverstone circuit within the U.Okay. on Wednesday.
“Clearly, it will be our final season with Lewis, so we’re eager on bringing a very fast automobile,” he stated. “Within the manufacturing facility there was onerous work to convey the product that we are going to see at this time the way it goes.
“I can not bear in mind all of us being so fascinated by lastly beginning the automobile up and seeing how it’s. It is a full relaunch of a automobile, it is vitally totally different, not solely on the aerodynamic surfaces, however beneath there are such a lot of mechanical modifications that we have now achieved, which we hope are going to translate into extra efficiency so the drivers can actually push.”