Three years on from the toughest day of Lewis Hamilton’s career in Abu Dhabi, this final lap at the Yas Marina Circuit was altogether sweeter. There was no dodgy interference here; just pure racing.
Sure, it didn’t really matter. Hamilton does not compete in F1, a month before his 40th birthday, to finish in fourth. Who even knows how bothered his teammate was in defence? But swooping around the outside of George Russell in the Marina section of lap 58 reminded the world – even if television coverage did excruciatingly cut away – why Ferrari pursued the Briton for half a dozen years.
It also marked the final time his race engineer, Peter “Bono” Bonnington, said his iconic catchphrase, instructing his driver to push flat-out.
“When [Bono] said it was ‘hammer time’, I did notice in that moment... that’s the last time I’m going to hear that,’” Hamilton said post-race. There were no tears, just an air of somberness in the Yas Marina media pen.
“It’s history now and all my races have been powered by Mercedes, and all the success we’ve had, I just sat there to think about all that and just contemplate how great a journey it’s been.
“I’m going to miss them – I can’t tell you how much I’m going to miss them. It’s going to be a huge amount.”
But Hamilton’s charge from 16th to fourth in the fourth-quickest car on the grid is indicative of why Scuderia chairman John Elkann did not think twice when Hamilton gave him the all-clear in January, parting ways with £40m-a-year to sign the sport’s most decorated driver. Thirty-nine years young, Hamilton has actually just concluded his worst-ever F1 season by championship position.
But the seven-time world champion is still a master on raceday. He can concoct an overtake perfectly, attacking when the moment is right. He can hone his tyres to optimum effect. He can judge the wider grand prix scenario, voicing his opinions strongly on the radio, to a tee.
But the statistics do tell a slightly paradoxical story this year. He was beaten 19-5 by Russell in the head-to-head stakes in qualifying. He finished seventh, with his worst-ever points tally. But he did win two races – in Silverstone and Spa – which ended his 31-month win duck.
When given a car in contention, Hamilton is a different beast. And that is why his 2025 move to Ferrari is so hair-raising.
Hamilton’s charge through the field on Sunday was only bettered by his teammate next year, Charles Leclerc, who fought from 19th to third as Ferrari narrowly missed out on the constructors’ title with race winner Lando Norris leading McLaren to glory. The Monegasque is one of the quickest drivers over one lap in Formula 1 and Hamilton will have to improve his qualifying performance to produce a championship challenge next year. Thankfully, he is not in denial about that.
On the flip side, spare a thought for the man he replaces.
For such a historic move, there was always going to be a fall guy. Carlos Sainz’s career was turned upside-down prior to the 2024 campaign, but wins in Melbourne and Mexico (and Singapore last year) represent a driver who, at 30, is at the top of his game and is the ultimate professional.
This year, Sainz finished fifth in the standings – 55 points clear of Russell and 87 ahead of Hamilton.
TOP-10 - DRIVER STANDINGS 2024
1. Max Verstappen - 437 points (champion)
2. Lando Norris - 374 points
3. Charles Leclerc - 356 points
4. Oscar Piastri - 292 points
5. Carlos Sainz - 290 points
6. George Russell - 245 points
7. Lewis Hamilton - 223 points
8. Sergio Perez - 152 points
9. Fernando Alonso - 70 points
10. Pierre Gasly - 42 points
He finished in second place here, on his final drive in scarlet red. And while there is optimism that the Williams team he joins are on track to be contenders come the next set of regulations in 2026, it is very much a long-term project. The Spaniard can count himself extremely unlucky to not be filling in at Red Bull or Mercedes next year.
It is why for all of Hamilton’s hard work over 24 gruelling races in the cockpit, his best decision this year was putting pen-to-paper prior to the season commencing. If Hamilton even waited a month or two (Sainz won race three in Australia), the decision may not have been as straightforward as it seemed - from a Ferrari perspective - at the start of 2024.
But we’ve known all year: Hamilton to Ferrari is a done deal. And as the seven-time world champion did some performative doughnuts on the home straight in Abu Dhabi, the season finale gave us all a reminder of his magic.
As his now old boss Toto Wolff put it: “Lewis that was the drive of a world champion.” The road to a record-breaking No 8 starts now.
