Charles Leclerc insists ‘legend of the sport’ Lewis Hamilton will never lose it following end of 12-year Mercedes stint

Lewis Hamilton made up 12 places to finish P4 at the Abu Dhabi GP in his final race with the Brackley-based team.

Charles Leclerc insists ‘legend of the sport’ Lewis Hamilton will never lose it following end of 12-year Mercedes stint

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton (Via IMAGO)

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton finished P4 at the Abu Dhabi GP in his last-ever race for Mercedes. Hamilton started in P16 and put in a stellar drive for the team. He will race for Ferrari from 2025 onwards, departing the Brackley-based team after 12 glorious years.

Lewis Hamilton has written an unforgettable history with the Silver Arrows ever since he joined in 2013. Winning 84 races and six world championships, he is the most decorated driver in the history of the team. He will now partner alongside Charles Leclerc at the Maranello-based team from next year on.

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Charles Leclerc has since praised the 39-year-old for his impressive run at the Yas Marina Circuit. The Monegasque claims that Hamilton will never lose his mojo regardless of the team or conditions in Formula 1.

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He has never lost it and will never lose it. I never had the doubt on that. Lewis is Lewis and will always remain Lewis. He’s extremely talented, I mean, talented is probably not the word. He’s obviously a legend of our sport, he’s never lost it and never will lose it.

Charles Leclerc said after the Abu Dhabi GP

Leclerc and Hamilton will set forth to write a new partnership with the Maranello-based team in 2025. Their objective remains simple: to win races and titles, both personally and collectively, with Ferrari from here on.

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Lewis Hamilton shares thoughts that went through his head during Abu Dhabi GP

The Abu Dhabi GP could have been a much more fruitful race for Lewis Hamilton if not for a botched qualifying run. Hamilton was knocked out in Q1 after hitting a bollard during the final stages of the session on Saturday.

Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton (Via: Imago)

I was just like, Oh, it’s not going as well as I thought it would. But I just didn’t give up. I just kept pushing, kept like, come on, we can get there. And then switched on to the different tires, and the car came alive. I had a massive gap to close.

Lewis Hamilton said after the Abu Dhabi GP

Hamilton revealed that he felt lost during the final stints of his hard tires at the race on Sunday. However, hope gleamed for him after a well-strategized pit stop, which offered him much more confidence on a set of mediums.

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The 39-year-old’s run at the Yas Marina circuit will be clubbed as one of his most memorable ones with Mercedes. Hamilton was emotional after crossing the finish line for the final time with the Brackley-based team. His actions were evidence of how special the team was to him and his career.