The iconic face of Lewis Hamilton will no longer be seen in the Mercedes camp. After a decade of glory and success, the Briton decided to advance in his F1 career. Therefore, he signed a historic deal with the Italian constructor Ferrari. The Prancing Horses have been aching desperately for success since 2008. Thus, Hamilton joined hands with Ferrari to continue the quest for the record-breaking world title.
However, he still has six races left with the Silver Arrows. The German Marque has failed to impact the racing track since the 2021 title defeat. Moreover, the latest ground-effect regulations had been a brain teaser for the squad. The lack of competitiveness was among the reasons behind Hamilton’s move to Ferrari. Although the seven-time world champion wanted to leave on a high note, it appears to be a distant dream.
End Of An Era: Hamilton-Mercedes Partnership Approaches Its Conclusion Without A ‘Happy Ending’
A young Lewis Hamilton joined Mercedes after showcasing his class and talent in the Papay squad. However, what unfolded was truly magical, compelling every motorsport fan to rise to their feet in applause. In a decade-long run, Hamilton won six World Driver’s Championships and 84 races with the Brackley-based outfit. Thus, in his dream world, the ideal Mercedes exit would have been a historic eighth WDC title or at least a win in his final race. Sadly, this isn’t how sports work, as in the final moments with the Silver outfit, Hamilton might not even win a single race. Practically, winning the World Title is out of the picture, with table topper Max Verstappen leading Hamilton by 151 points.
However, his former teammate Nico Rosberg lived through the fairytale ending in 2016, winning the 2016 WDC title and retiring with glory. Legendary racers like Alain Prost and Sir Jackie Stewart also left the sport at the pinnacle of their careers. However, in an extremely competitive sport like F1, a gleaming exit is usually a rare phenomenon. There are plenty of examples to support this phenomenon, like Ferrari, which has failed to recreate its glorious past since 2008. Moreover, the four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel also had an unfortunate end to his career after failing to rediscover his mojo.
Not just in F1 but across every sport, the legends don’t always get a triumphant farewell. The fastest man on earth, Usain Bolt, had a terrible last event, limping after a hamstring injury. Or the fab four of Tennis—Roger Federer, Rafale Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. Only Djokovic is still scrapping it, while youngsters like Carlos Alcaraz and Janike Sinner have taken over.
Lewis Hamilton To Shoot His Shot For Final Glory Before F1 Retirement
However, Hamilton is still a couple of seasons away from his retirement; at least, that’s what sources claim. Therefore, he can still weave a beautiful farewell story with Ferrari. All he needs is a well-rounded, quick car, which the Italian team can deliver. If everything falls into place, the iconic F1 driver could bid farewell to the sport with a record-breaking world title in his hand.
