$300M Lewis Hamilton styles a red overcoat ahead of his last-ever Mercedes F1 qualifying session in Abu Dhabi
Lewis Hamilton rocked the qualifying day sessions with a red overcoat as he arrived at Yas Marina Circuit for the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Saturday, December 7, his last race for Mercedes. The seven-time world champion grabbed eyeballs as he paired the apparel with a white inner before gearing up for the FP1 and Qualifying sessions later in the day.
Formula 1 is in Abu Dhabi for the final race of the 2024 season. This marks the 24th race of this year and the final one for Hamilton at Mercedes. Max Verstappen claimed the Drivers' Championship in Las Vegas in November, whereas McLaren and Ferrari are all set to go head-to-head for the Constructors' Championship.
On the other hand, Hamilton, worth $300 million as per Celebrity Net Worth, is in no hurry. He sits at a distant P7 in the championship, similar to his team which is in P4 of the Constructors' Championship. Neither he nor Mercedes risk losing a place if they perform poorly on Sunday. After rocking the Abu Dhabi GP media day in a white outfit and Free Practice day with a black one, he arrived in the paddock in a red overcoat, a white inner, black shoes, and black sunglasses.
The 2024 Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying is Lewis Hamilton's last qualifying session in Mercedes overalls before he moves to Ferrari in 2025. Despite having a one-plus-one-year contract with the Silver Arrows, Hamilton signed a new one with the Prancing Horse earlier this year. According to the multi-year agreement, he will join his former F2 boss Fred Vasseur and driver Charles Leclerc. He will replace Williams-bound Carlos Sainz.
Lewis Hamilton shares a farewell message ahead of his final race
Ahead of the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton shared his thoughts on his Mercedes journey, and how he started at Silver Arrows. With the message on his social media, he also thanked his team for their cooperation over the years.
"This is really it. My last race with @mercedesamgf1. What we’ve built together over the years is nothing short of historic," Lewis Hamilton wrote. "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."
Hamilton arrived at Mercedes in 2013 from McLaren and joined Nico Rosberg. He replaced a retiring Michael Schumacher and stayed with the team for 12 years. His association with the team is regarded as the most successful driver-team combination in Formula 1.