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‘You are more than a driver for Mercedes, Lewis’: The Last Dance of the F1 Icon

Lewis Hamilton will move to Ferrari from Mercedes next year but will leave a big legacy with the German brand. No driver has achieved this kind of success with any team.

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Venkatakrishnan
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Lewis Memories

(Source: X)

The 'Drive to Survive' on Netflix is one of the best series regarding racing. The reality web series gave us more deep insights into the world of F1 and the relationship between the teams and their drivers. One of the iconic moments was Mercedes Boss Toto Wolff speaking to Lewis Hamilton after they failed to win his 7th world title.

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Toto Wolff says “You are more than a driver and 7-time world champion for Mercedes, Lewis.” He said it because he meant it. Lewis Hamilton is bigger than anything for the Mercedes team. He is the one who gave them an identity in the sport and kept them in Number 1 spot for many years.

The Last Dance 

He will be driving his final race for the Mercedes team this weekend in Abu Dhabi, and after that, he will depart for the Ferrari team next year. But all his achievements and iconic memories will stay forever and will also be scripted in Formula 1 history. Let us go back in history and look at all the iconic races Lewis and Mercedes won together in F1.

1. The first win is always special- 2013 Hungary Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton won 84 races with the Mercedes team and it all started with the first-ever win in the Hungarian Grand prix in the last V8 era. The race was held in 2013 when Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull dominated the grid. The British driver won the race after starting from Pole position ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Romain Grosjean. It was also the Mercedes team's first-ever win since returning to Formula 1.

ALSO WATCH: Max Verstappen's Heart touching moment with young fan at Abu Dhabi GP 2023

2. First World Title - Abu Dhabi 2014

The Yas Marina circuit which ends the iconic partnership of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton gave them their first world title in the 2014 Formula 1 season. It was the start of the new Hybrid era in Formula 1 and Mercedes was way ahead of every other team. Only the two Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were in contention for the title. So whoever wins is a win for the team. Lewis needed to finish in the top 2 to win the title and Nico’s championship depended on his teammate finishing below P3.

Rosberg qualified the fastest ahead of Lewis but during the race start the British driver gained the pole position from his teammate and after that, he was flying away extending the gap. The German's ERS failed which guaranteed Lewis Hamilton's second world championship and also the first world title for Mercedes.

Also Read: Brothers in wheels: Leclerc's will be making history in Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi GP

3. Race win with a punctured tyre - 2020 British Grand Prix

The 2020 season was the most successful year for the Mercedes AMG F1 team, as they won the race with minimum to no competition. The only guy who challenged them was the Red Bull driver Max Verstappen who wasn't even a champion then. Lewis’s race was all good from the start, and he was leading the race the entire time. But in the final lap, he got his front left tyre punctured. He had a big threat in the name of Verstappen coming behind him, with the Red Bull driver pushing hard in P2. Hamilton still had a few more corners to cross before the chequered flag, and he drove with the punctured tyre and ended up winning a thrilling race.

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4. Pushed to the walls - 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix

The reigning world champion Max Verstappen’s iconic show at the Sao Paulo circuit this 2024 season became history. Lewis Hamilton’s 2021 Brazilian Grand prix was also kind of the same. Hamilton was disqualified followed by DRS issues and started 20th in the sprint race and finished fifth. In the main race, he took another penalty for exceeding the engine quota, went five places behind the grid, and started 10th. 

The race started and Hamilton found every pace he needed and by every lap, the champion gained as many places in the front row. By Lap 59 the crowd went crazy as Lewis passed verstappen and became the new race leader. His boss aggressively pointed at the camera, which became an iconic meme. The british racer won his 101st race in Brazil that year.

ALSO WATCH: Ferrari's Leclerc and Sainz Enjoy a Joyful Adventure before their Final race as teammates in Abu Dhabi

5. A win after 945-day drought - British Grand Prix 2024

The recent win of Lewis Hamilton, which is also the final win with Mercedes in his home country at Silverstone. It was at the 2024 British Grand Prix race. After qualifying second fastest next to his teammate and fellow countryman George Russell, Lewis got an opportunity when his teammate retired from the race after a water pressure issue.

He was the solo Mercedes driver who could win the race. Hamilton was in a soft tyre and verstappen went for the hards. Lando Norris was leading and went to the pits for soft tyres and came out behind Hamilton and ahead of Verstappen. Max Passed Lando Norris and was catching Hamilton but it was too late and Lewis won the race after a 945 days of winless drought for the 7 time world champion. It was a very emotional moment for him. He started crying immediately after coming out of the car and hugging his father.

Also Read: Mercedes Benz Honors Sir Lewis Hamilton’s legacy with a Grand Tribute in Abu Dhabi

Formula 1 Lewis Hamilton Toto Wolff Mercedes F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix