Lewis Hamilton admits signing for Ferrari for 2025 did initially result in strained Mercedes relations and this year has been “one of the worst” in handling emotions; watch the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1 from Friday, with Sunday’s race at 1pmLewis Hamilton admitted he “massively underestimated” what his final year at Mercedes would be like in the wake of announcing that he was joining Ferrari for 2025 and that he has not always handled his emotions in the best way.
Hamilton will race for the Silver Arrows for the 246th and final time at F1’s season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend, the final chapter in a team-driver relationship that has rewritten the sport’s record books over the past 12 years.
But as the seven-time champion prepares to close a difficult season in which he is on course for his worst championship finish of seventh in F1, a reflective Hamilton opened up on the strains and emotions of the past 11 months since his bombshell Ferrari switch was made public in February.
“The first meeting with Toto [Wolff] at the beginning of the year was awkward, of course, so it was awkward from the get go,” said Hamilton in Thursday’s Drivers’ Press Conference.
“The day after, when I took some of the team paintballing, and they had just found out. So there’s been loads of moments through the year. I got shot at a lot by people, loads of bruises. People went in on me that day.
“I anticipated it would be difficult, but massively underestimated how difficult it would be. It was straining on the relationship very early on, it took time for people to get past it
“And then just from my own self, it’s been a very emotional year for me, and I think I’ve not been at my best in handling and dealing with those emotions.
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