LEGACY WITH MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS BEYOND BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP - HAMILTON

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- Seven-time Formula One (F1) world champion Lewis Hamilton described his 12-year journey with the Mercedes AMG Petronas team, which began in 2013, as a profound and authentic partnership far beyond a mere business transaction but a bond built on trust, passion, and shared dreams.

Hamilton highlighted the rarity of finding an organisation where everyone works seamlessly and relentlessly thus crediting this unity for the successful transition to the power unit and six world championship titles achieved together as a ‘family’. 

The 39-year-old British racing driver expressed how exhilarating it was to be on track brimming with confidence knowing that the car was poised to finish the race effortlessly because the power unit is doing its job with the probability of very few failures. 

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“It was like there was real passion and real drive for change, for winning, for success and we did it together so I like to think that in many years to come, people that are within the company, within the team, people that followed us from all over will always remember these beautiful days that we had together because they were epic. 

“When I started and embarked on the journey, I didn't put any targets in it. I just was like, we're going to give it everything and see where it goes and we achieved so much more than I think any of us thought that we would,” he said when met at an exclusive group media interview at Petronas Twin Tower, yesterday. 

Reflecting on his journey to join the Silver Arrows, Hamilton who hoped to be remembered as someone decent recalled being 28 years old and nervous for his first seat fit but knowing the team’s openness to his requests would allow his DNA to blend with theirs.

However, he acknowledged that there were times he questioned whether he could do it and credited the secret to his longevity with the Mercedes AMG Petronas team to their constant hunger for more success.

“I loved working in the place that I was working and I think I felt like we were not done. I felt like we still had more to achieve. There were still more things for us to accomplish together and so we just went from one year to another year. 

“And there was along that way, there was never a question of, do we continue the next year? It was like, okay, next year, this is what we've got to do. This is what we're working towards,” he said. 

When asked about the most memorable moment from these years, Hamilton said it would surely be ending a 945-day win drought by claiming victory in the 2024 British Grand Prix alongside his family and team. 

He said it served as a powerful reminder for him to keep pushing forward in the future as he humbly admitted that sometimes when a picture or video showcasing his numbers of success plays it feels surreal yet incredibly proud of it.

“I have been a part of a huge chain of people and I just see myself as one of those links and I've cherished my small link in that chain of so many people working so well together. We've created great bonds. It's been awesome,” he said. 

Hamilton, who joined Mercedes in 2013 to win six world championships will be leaving the once-dominating Silver Arrows at the end of this season which has a 24-race format to join Ferrari in 2025.

The seven-time world champion (2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) has also secured over 100 Grand Prix victories and helped the team clinch eight Constructors’ Championships, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest drivers in F1 history.

-- BERNAMA