P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes has admitted an unwillingness to commit to the remaining timescale Lewis Hamilton has planned in F1 prompted his impending exit from the team.
Lewis Hamilton is preparing to conduct his final appearance with Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend before starting a new venture at Ferrari in 2025. The Briton chose to leave Mercedes last winter despite having signed an extension in September, activating a break clause in his one-plus-one contract when Ferrari offered a multi-term deal. He initially wished to end his career at Mercedes, where he won seven Drivers’ titles and 105 races. The short-term agreement with Mercedes was reached as Team Principal Toto Wolff wanted to keep options open for the driver line-up. Despite recent struggles with Mercedes’ performance and the current ground effect cars, Hamilton celebrated victories this season, including a ninth win at Silverstone. Hamilton’s decision to switch to Ferrari was praised by Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin, who noted Hamilton’s desire to drive for more years and take on the challenge at Ferrari. Hamilton aims to continue making an impact beyond driving, focusing on diversity within the sport and global influence from a prominent voice in Formula 1.
