Lewis Hamilton has completed his final duties as a Mercedes driver, but not without a few last emotional words from Toto Wolff. The team boss emphasizes in his speech for the departing driver how proud he is to have worked with the world champion. The Austrian also takes a moment to remember the late three-time world champion Niki Lauda, who passed away in 2019.
Lewis Hamilton fired the starting gun for the so-called silly season early in the season. The driver announced in February 2024 that he would be leaving Mercedes for Ferrari, bringing an end to more than a decade of loyal service. Naturally, the Brit could not leave without a final visit to the Mercedes headquarters, where Toto Wolff had a few emotional words for the world champion.
“The name Lewis Hamilton will stand for greatness for a long time,” the team boss tells the departing driver in a new video from Mercedes. “I will tell my grandchildren that I was proud to be part of Lewis Hamilton’s journey. And that’s something we can all be proud of, no matter how long everyone (at Mercedes, ed.) has worked here. Whether it was a month or twelve years, like me.”
Lauda
Wolff also mentions the late former Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda, who was a co-owner and advisor of Mercedes from 2012. “Niki (Lauda, ed.) would have tipped his hat to you. We are proud that we have all been part of your journey with Mercedes,” concludes the Austrian.
