Lewis Hamilton will race for Mercedes for one final time at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton will race for Mercedes for one final time at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 
Lewis Hamilton says he "massively underestimated" what his final year at Mercedes would be like in the wake of announcing that he was joining Ferrari for 2025. (More Motorsports News)free slot play
Hamilton will race for the Silver Arrows for the final time at this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ending a record-breaking 12-year stint with the team.
During his time with Mercedes, the Briton has won six of his seven drivers' championships, while also achieving Formula One records for the most wins (105), most pole positions (104), podium finishes (202) and points scored (4,850.50).
But Hamilton has endured a difficult season in 2024, with his current points tally on course to be his worst in F1, despite winning twice in the campaign.
He emerged victorious for a record ninth time at the British Grand Prix in July, before emerging victorious at the Belgian Grand Prix two races later.
Hamilton opened up on the strains and emotions of the past 11 months since his Ferrari switch was made public.
"The first meeting with Toto [Wolff] at the beginning of the year was awkward, of course, so it was awkward from the get-go," said Hamilton.
"The day after, when I took some of the team paintballing, and they had just found out. So there have been loads of moments throughout the year.
"I got shot at a lot by people, loads of bruises. People went in on me that day. I anticipated it would be difficult, but massively underestimated how difficult it would be.
"It was straining on the relationship very early on, it took time for people to get past it.
"And then just from my own self, it's been a very emotional year for me, and I think I've not been at my best in handling and dealing with those emotions.
Record-breaking. Historic. Iconic. Ready to write the final chapter togetherThank you, Lewis pic.twitter.com/eVTlYpAe5y
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) December 3, 2024"So many of you have been here my whole career, so some of you, I think you've all seen the worst in me, and the best of me.
"And I'm not going to apologise for it either, because I'm only human and I don't always get it right.
"And I would definitely say this year has been one of the worst in terms of handling that from my side, which I will work on trying to be better at."
Hamilton's frustrations have been further compounded by the improvements made by team-mate George Russell, who has impressed in recent weeks.
Russell and Hamilton have taken part in 67 races as Mercedes team-mates. Russell has beaten Hamilton in 38 qualifying sessions and finished ahead in half of the races (34).
Of Hamilton's six team-mates throughout his career, only Fernando Alonso has beaten him more times in races.
Hamilton, though, says the highs of their towering achievements together and the strength of their relationships will stand the test of time.
"I hope the good and the highs far outweigh the negatives in how I've handled it, or behaved," he added.
"And as I said, just remember the good times. I've built some incredible relationships.
"If you imagine when you're going through a season together with so many people, not only on those race weekends are you riding the highs and lows together.
"But in their personal lives, through marriages, through divorces, through loss of family members, through cancer, through all sorts - you're going through these journeys with these people.
"So, it's a really beautiful journey you go on together, and being there for so long, the emotions run so deep."
Our Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team race team class of 2024 pic.twitter.com/evSMDtJT1t
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) December 5, 2024DRIVERS TO WATCH
Max Verstappen - Red Bull
Verstappen will be hoping to finish his season on a high around a track where he won his first world championship three years ago.
The Dutchman has won each of the last four races in Abu Dhabi. Only Ayrton Senna in Monaco (1989 to 1993) and Hamilton in Spain (from 2017 to 2021) have won five consecutive editions of the same race.
He has also taken pole position in each of the last four Abu Dhabi Grands Prix. Should he do so again, it will be the fifth time a driver has taken five consecutive pole positions in the same grand prix in Formula One history, after Senna (seven in San Marino, 1985 to 1991), Hamilton (six in Australia, 2014 to 2019) and Michael Schumacher (twice - five in Spain from 2000 to 2004 and five in Japan from 1998 to 2002).
A win for Verstappen will also see him claim his 10th of the year. It could be the 14th time a driver has won at least 10 races in a single F1 season, and the Dutchman's fourth, with the previous three coming in the last three editions of the competition.
YES what a race, had a lot of fun out there!!! Big thanks to @redbullracing for turning the car around Simply lovely pic.twitter.com/X133B5dbXn
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) December 1, 2024Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
It will be the first time since 2009 that neither Mercedes nor Red Bull have won the constructors' championship in F1, with Ferrari doing battle with McLaren to see who comes out on top.
And Leclerc will want to improve on his seventh-place finish in Abu Dhabi last year, with the possibility of overtaking Lando Norris in the drivers' standings in the final race.
He has managed to finish on the podium 12 times in 2024. It is the Monegasque's best year on the podium in F1, surpassing the 11 in 2022, while also scoring more points this season (341) than in any other since his arrival in the competition in 2018.
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 429 (C) 2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 349 3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 341 4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 291 5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 272
Constructors
1. McLaren – 640 2. Ferrari – 619 3. Red Bull – 581 4. Mercedes – 446 5. Aston Martin – 92free slot play
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