Lewis Hamilton states it feels “surreal” to be heading into his last time with Mercedes in this year’s Components one championship.

The 7-instances entire world champions will race for the crew with which he received 6 drivers’ titles for the twelfth and last time in 2024 forward of his transfer to Ferrari for following yr.

Talking at the start of the team’s new vehicle for the 2024 time, the W15, Hamilton admitted it felt odd to be hunting in direction of his last time for the crew.

“It’s clearly been psychological,” Hamilton mentioned. “It’s really surreal to be below provided that I arrived below in 2013 – so eleven decades with the crew, commencing my twelfth. It is these kinds of a privilege to do the job with a team of people today exactly where you see the do the job they are undertaking more than winter season.”

Regardless of Hamilton and Mercedes currently being the most prosperous crew and driver partnership in the historical past of the activity, Hamilton has not received a grand prix due to the fact the floor result rules were being released in 2022. Soon after Mercedes went gain-considerably less as a crew previous time, Hamilton states the crew are far more “grounded” heading into the new yr

“The aim by the total of winter season instruction is initial on finding the crew back again to exactly where we at the time were being,” he mentioned. “I believe we have experienced this complicated pair of decades, which I believe has been seriously grounding for us. It is aided us regroup.”

Hamilton states he is hunting ahead to dealing with the vehicle on observe for the initial time these days at Silverstone, along with crew mate George Russell.

“We’ve experienced to re-search at matters and it is now just heading by the essential course of action, currently being seriously diligent with our do the job, comprehension the details, comprehension the vehicle, maximising from follow – even just a single lap we could get in the rain these days could give George and I a little bit of a emotion of what is to occur,” he mentioned.

“The learnings of the earlier two decades have aided us come across our route. “It’s enabled us to come across our north star. It is even now heading to be a do the job in development, but we will experience what ever worries existing by themselves with our heads up, with open up minds, and do the job by diligently.”

Together with the important variations to the car’s bodywork as Mercedes have deserted the ‘zero sidepod’ strategy with the W15, Hamilton thinks even further variations to the car’s inside could demonstrate vital.

“To know all the things which is beneath the hood, which people today will not get to see but we – George and I – will get to encounter on the observe, it is thrilling,” Hamilton mentioned.

“If you are not comfy with the vehicle, you are not capable to extract the utmost functionality. A far more steady, far more predictable vehicle will allow us to extract the prospective from not only the vehicle, but ourselves as motorists.”

Regardless of shifting to Ferrari at the stop of the yr, Hamilton states he stays inspired to check out and realize success in his last yr with Mercedes.

“I know what this crew is able of,” he mentioned. “I am extremely grateful for the do the job of every single one human being in this crew.

“Every time you are in the manufacturing facility, you can see the sheer travel and resolve of absolutely everyone. We are all mega-inspired for the yr forward and will be offering it all the things we have acquired on the journey forward.”

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