Hamilton says it’s ‘surreal’ going into final Mercedes year

SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton said Wednesday it feels “surreal” to be entering his last season with Mercedes before joining Ferrari for 2025.

Speaking as Mercedes unveiled its 2024 car at Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix, Hamilton said it has been a privilege to work with the team.

Hamilton has driven for Mercedes since 2013, winning six of his seven titles with the team, but is leaving at the end of the season to join Ferrari. The move has shaken up F1 and surprised Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

“It has obviously been emotional,” Hamilton said. “It’s very surreal to be here, given I came here in 2013, so 11 years with the team, starting my 12th, and it is such a privilege to work with a group of people where you see the work they’re doing over the winter.”

Mercedes was due to do a brief “shakedown” run at Silverstone on Wednesday before heading to Bahrain for three days of pre-season testing next week. The focus will be on “getting the team back to where we once were,” Hamilton said. “I think we’ve had this difficult couple of years, which I think has been really grounding for us. It’s helped us regroup.”

Wolff said the 2024 Mercedes car, the W15, represents “a complete relaunch” of the design. The livery brings back a flash of Mercedes’ traditional silver on the nose after last year’s mostly-black look.

“It’s very different, not only on the aerodynamic surfaces, but mainly underneath,” Wolff said. “There are so many mechanical changes that we have done which we hope are going to translate into more performance, more predictability, a car that the drivers can really push, and we should be seeing next week in Bahrain.”