SAKHIR – Lewis Hamilton admitted on Feb 28 that he expects to ride an emotional roller coaster in 2024, which will be his last season with Mercedes where he won six of his seven Formula One world titles.

The 39-year-old, who will race for Ferrari in 2025, also said that he had not lost any faith in the team he raced for since 2013 and was confident Mercedes had a bright future.

“It’s the same as any other year. It is emotional and every week will be emotional,” he said ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 2.

“I truly believe that this team (Mercedes) is going to win another championship. It’s an incredible group of people and it’s really well run. Mercedes has such an incredible history and from the board down they are really heavily invested in racing and so many areas.

“And regardless of whether or not this is a championship-winning car, it doesn’t have any bearing on how I feel about it and the next stage of my career.”

The Briton initially held discussions with Ferrari in 2019 and has now agreed to join the iconic Italian team on a “multi-year contract”, replacing Spaniard Carlos Sainz.

“It’s all about a new chapter in my life, and I really feel like I’ve done everything I could possibly do with this team and I’m on the back end of my career,” Hamilton added.

“I love a challenge and this is the ultimate challenge really – to go to a team that is incredibly iconic, has an amazing history, but also has not had as much success they would have hoped in the past decade or so.

“They’re already looking very strong this weekend which is positive for them so my goal is to beat them this year – and then that switches next year.”

Sainz, meanwhile, said that he had no hard feelings towards Hamilton becoming his replacement and taking the hot seat alongside Monaco’s Charles Leclerc.

“I think this is how the sport works and obviously I have a lot of respect for Lewis and the success he’s had and his choice to join Ferrari,” said the 29-year-old, who was sitting alongside Hamilton at the press conference.

“I would have done the same in his position,” added Sainz, who himself replaced four-time champion Sebastian Vettel at the Maranello-based team in 2021.

All the talk about switching teams aside, Hamilton insisted that he will be fully focused on this season, and that nothing would change at Mercedes who have given him great understanding and support.

“Nothing really changes,” he said.

“I was back at the factory on Monday... it’s full attack. Everyone’s all hands on deck and the team... I’ve been with them such a long time. There’s so much love within the team. And I still, and always will, love this team.

“Everyone was incredibly understanding within the team, hugely supportive. Everyone knows that I’m here to deliver for them this year, so that’s the focus.”

In more sentimental words, he added: “The seat fit is your last seat fit with the team and you’ve been doing it (for years). You remember it, the first one.

“The winter test is the last winter test that I’ll do with the team. And so on. There’s going to be a lot of emotional experiences through the year, but we’ll do it together.”

How Mercedes will fare remains to be seen.

Max Verstappen, who dominated last season with Red Bull, remains the overwhelming favourite to secure a fourth world title but Hamilton also said his 2024 Mercedes car was significantly better than at the same stage in the last two seasons.

“We still have some problems that we’re having to work through and it’s not perfect,” he admitted.

“But it’s definitely a better starting place from the past two years, so we are relatively happy. We’re not where we want to be and may not compete with these other guys at the front, but we will work towards it.” AFP, REUTERS