In his ultimate outing for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton offers a sometimes bravura efficiency, spurred on by ‘Bono’s name for “Hammer-time!”
Although he’s heading to arguably probably the most iconic group in motor sport, Lewis Hamilton will always remember his 12 years with the Three Pointed Star.
Twelve years wherein he secured six titles and 84 wins.
Talking at race finish, the Briton admitted that it had been a tricky ultimate season, the longest yr of his life, however that it was nonetheless a really emotional time for him.
Beginning sixteenth on the grid, Hamilton was as much as twelfth by the top of the primary lap and on the ultimate lap handed his teammate to say fourth, going across the outdoors within the notorious Flip 9.
Urged on by Toto Wolff, who insisted “You are able to do it”, Hamilton overcame a 14s deficit to his teammate that served discover that ‘the boy’s nonetheless bought it’.
The primary stint was actually, actually tough,” stated Hamilton at race finish. “I wasn’t dropping hope, however I used to be identical to, ‘ah, it is not going in addition to I believed it might’.
However I did not quit,” he continued, “I stored pushing, ‘come on, we will get there’. I switched onto the medium, and the automobile got here alive.
“I had an enormous hole to shut, so I simply centered on getting completely every thing from the automobile and never giving up.
“I simply needed to complete on as a lot of a excessive as doable and provides each ounce of me to the group as they’ve given to me all of those years,” he admitted.
After taking the chequered flag, the seven-time world champion celebrated the momentous event with some conventional donuts. Then, earlier than climbing out of the automobile for the final time, he allowed himself just a few treasured moments. Then, climbing from the W15, he knelt down beside it.
“Each second that I’ve bought within the automobile this week I’ve recognized that it is one of many final,” he stated. “It has been actually, actually clear, and actually arduous to let go.
“So I believe after I stopped the automobile I simply needed to embrace the second, as a result of it is the final time I’ll step into Mercedes and symbolize them.
“It has been the best honour of my life,” he added, “so I believe after I knelt subsequent to it it was nearly giving thanks, firstly thanking my very own spirit for persevering with to push, and thanking everybody that powered and constructed that automobile. I am happy with everybody.”
When it was recommended that his searching down of his teammate was proof that – opposite to what he recommended final week in Qatar – that he has misplaced a few of his confidence in himself, Hamilton stated: “It isn’t that I must have faith. I’ve at all times had the boldness, however positively very nice to complete with a robust arduous battle. No errors, strong drive.
“It has been a extremely turbulent yr, in all probability the longest yr of my life, I’d say, as a result of we have recognized it from the start that we’re leaving. It is like a relationship, once you’ve informed whoever the counterpart is that you just’re leaving, however you are residing collectively for a complete yr. Plenty of ups and downs, emotionally, however we completed off with a excessive at the moment.”
Significantly emotional was his engineer, Pete Bonnington, calling for “Hammer-time”.
“I believed, ‘That is the final I’ll hear that’,”! Hamilton subsequently informed Sky Sports activities, “it actually clicked for me in that second.
“I keep in mind I informed Bono to say it again within the first yr collectively. I used to be like, do not inform me simply go sooner, simply say inform me it is Hammer time and I am going to know what it’s.
“And what a roller-coaster trip I’ve had with Bono,” he smiled, “he is been certainly one of my closest associates for a few years. It is one thing I did not count on to have. He is labored with Michael Schumacher, he is labored with nice drivers, however, as irritating and painful as it may possibly generally be, he is stood by me each single day with out fail.
“All my races have been powered by Mercedes,” he added, “all of the success we have had. I’ll miss them, I am unable to let you know how a lot I’ll miss them. It will be an enormous quantity.
“I’ve labored with them each day for the previous 12 years. There’s a number of love inside this group, and that is not going wherever.”
Try our Sunday gallery from the Yas Marina right here.
