Lewis Hamilton faces near-impossible task to avoid setting unwanted record in final Mercedes race at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton is set to end his time with Mercedes by making some unwanted history at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Formula 1 icon will race for the final time as a Mercedes driver this weekend before making the switch to Ferrari next season. Hamilton is set for his final race for Mercedes this weekendGetty His career at the Brackley-based team has been the most successful partnership ever, after an incredible 12 years of service and six world title wins. In total, he won 84 races and started 78 Grand Prix on pole with the team too, which has made him arguably F1’s greatest ever. That success makes up the large majority of Hamilton’s career and he holds the record for the most race wins and poles in history as well as many more impressive feats. However, Hamilton’s farewell race could see him set a record he wouldn’t have wanted. Heading into the last Grand Prix of the year, he sits seventh in the Driver Standings and 24 points behind teammate George Russell. Mercedes have struggled this season and are a long way off their old form and the new standards set by Red Bull and McLaren. And that means he’s on the brink of finishing in his lowest-ever position in the F1 Drivers’ Championship. Throughout his 17-year career, Hamilton has never finished outside the top six. But now he will need a miracle to avoid that happening for the first time. A 24-point gap is almost impossible to achieve in one race and the 39-year-old will need things to fall into place for him. Hamilton will need a 24-point swing with Russell to avoid setting a new recordGetty He will need Russell to finish outside of the top 10 and receive no points while also winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix himself. As much as that would be a dream ending to his time at Mercedes, it’s unlikely to happen with so much at stake for other drivers. Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc will be battling for second in the standings while the Constructor’s Championship still needs to be decided, so all drivers will be going all-out. Of course, champion Max Verstappen will contend too, so it means it’s going to be very tough for Hamilton to come out on top. There could be some small hope for him though, as he has a trend when it comes to race wins and Russell’s position this season. Hamilton has two race wins this season – at Silverstone and Spa. Hamilton is set for his lowest-ever finish in the driver standings In both of those victories, Russell finished outside the top 10, and that’s exactly what he needs to happen again to avoid some history. But in reality, with Russell not finishing outside the top 10 in a race since July, there is only a minute chance of happening for a third time. Hamilton’s current worst standing in the Drivers’ Championship is 6th in 2022. He had two fifth-placed finishes in the standings for McLaren in 2009 and 2011, while he finished fourth in his first year at Mercedes in 2013. It now seems a seventh will be added to his career record, but the legend won’t be thinking too much about it this weekend as he says goodbye to his team. Ahead of his final Grand Prix weekend getting underway on Friday, Hamilton has posted an emotional message on his Instagram account. Accompanying a video of his celebrations at Mercedes, his caption read: “This is really it. My last race with Mercedes. “What we’ve built together over the years is nothing short of historic. People doubted me making this move in 2013, and here we are now. The records we’ve broken, the championships we’ve won, it all speaks for itself. “This won’t be the last time I thank Mercedes, but going into my final race with this team is really hitting me now. It’s really the end of an era in my life, in my career, for the team, and in F1 history. “I’m proud of what we’ve created, I’m proud of every single person that been part of this with me. Thank you. It’s been real, now let’s go again one more time.”
Lewis Hamilton is set to end his time with Mercedes by making some unwanted history at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Formula 1 icon will race for the final time as a Mercedes driver this weekend before making the switch to Ferrari next season.
His career at the Brackley-based team has been the most successful partnership ever, after an incredible 12 years of service and six world title wins.
In total, he won 84 races and started 78 Grand Prix on pole with the team too, which has made him arguably F1’s greatest ever.
That success makes up the large majority of Hamilton’s career and he holds the record for the most race wins and poles in history as well as many more impressive feats.
However, Hamilton’s farewell race could see him set a record he wouldn’t have wanted.
Heading into the last Grand Prix of the year, he sits seventh in the Driver Standings and 24 points behind teammate George Russell.
Mercedes have struggled this season and are a long way off their old form and the new standards set by Red Bull and McLaren.
And that means he’s on the brink of finishing in his lowest-ever position in the F1 Drivers’ Championship.
Throughout his 17-year career, Hamilton has never finished outside the top six.
But now he will need a miracle to avoid that happening for the first time.
A 24-point gap is almost impossible to achieve in one race and the 39-year-old will need things to fall into place for him.
He will need Russell to finish outside of the top 10 and receive no points while also winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix himself.
As much as that would be a dream ending to his time at Mercedes, it’s unlikely to happen with so much at stake for other drivers.
Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc will be battling for second in the standings while the Constructor’s Championship still needs to be decided, so all drivers will be going all-out.
Of course, champion Max Verstappen will contend too, so it means it’s going to be very tough for Hamilton to come out on top.
There could be some small hope for him though, as he has a trend when it comes to race wins and Russell’s position this season.
Hamilton has two race wins this season – at Silverstone and Spa.
In both of those victories, Russell finished outside the top 10, and that’s exactly what he needs to happen again to avoid some history.
But in reality, with Russell not finishing outside the top 10 in a race since July, there is only a minute chance of happening for a third time.
Hamilton’s current worst standing in the Drivers’ Championship is 6th in 2022.
He had two fifth-placed finishes in the standings for McLaren in 2009 and 2011, while he finished fourth in his first year at Mercedes in 2013.
It now seems a seventh will be added to his career record, but the legend won’t be thinking too much about it this weekend as he says goodbye to his team.
Ahead of his final Grand Prix weekend getting underway on Friday, Hamilton has posted an emotional message on his Instagram account.
Accompanying a video of his celebrations at Mercedes, his caption read: “This is really it. My last race with Mercedes.
“What we’ve built together over the years is nothing short of historic. People doubted me making this move in 2013, and here we are now. The records we’ve broken, the championships we’ve won, it all speaks for itself.
“This won’t be the last time I thank Mercedes, but going into my final race with this team is really hitting me now. It’s really the end of an era in my life, in my career, for the team, and in F1 history.
“I’m proud of what we’ve created, I’m proud of every single person that been part of this with me. Thank you. It’s been real, now let’s go again one more time.”
