Lewis Hamilton says he ‘underestimated’ how hard leaving Mercedes for Ferrari would be
Associated PressABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Lewis Hamilton says he “massively underestimated” how big a toll his decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari would take on his relationships with the team where he won six of his seven Formula 1 championships. Hamilton’s move to Ferrari for 2025 ends the most successful partnership between a driver and a team in F1 history. “And then just for 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.” Speaking ahead of his final race for Mercedes on Sunday at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamilton said he’d been left with “loads of bruises” following a game of paintball with some Mercedes colleagues shortly after his move to Ferrari was revealed. “I think you’ve all seen the worst of me and seen the best of me, and I’m not going to apologize for either because I’m only human and I don’t always get it right,” Hamilton said.