After the verbal arguments and blows of the last few weeks, everyone at Mercedes is now preparing for a great reconciliation and complete peace for Lewis Hamilton's farewell race.
Toto Wolff spoke before Abu Dhabi and reflected on the good times and pointed out that Lewis Hamilton may continue with a rival next year, but will always remain part of the Mercedes family:
"After twelve incredible years, we have reached the point where this weekend we are writing the final chapter of Lewis and our shared story. Let us put our hand on our hearts, because this has not been an ordinary path! When we started working together in 2013, we never imagined how far we would go together... We have won six individual world championships and an additional eight constructors' titles. In the meantime, we have collected eighty-four wins, seventy-eight pole positions, one hundred and fifty-three podium finishes and created the most successful driver-team relationship in the history of Formula 1. Many successful moments and highlights, many difficulties that we have experienced together. However, our relationship is much more than just statistics; it is a legacy that goes beyond the sport.
For example, there is the shared ambition to make F1 fairer, our shared fight for inclusion. We started this together, and it has been a great honor to work with Lewis Hamilton. This weekend will not be a simple race weekend, but a celebration. We are celebrating and concluding everything I have talked about, we are saying goodbye and trying to gain momentum and gather strength for the future. We are opening a new chapter with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, but now more than ever it is more important to bring our work together with Lewis Hamilton to a beautiful close. Thank you, and once again, let's do it one last time!” Toto Wolff said an emotional farewell to the architect of Mercedes' success.
