Lewis Hamilton bows out of Mercedes with emotional farewell at team’s HQ

Lewis Hamilton bowed out of Mercedes with an emotional farewell at the team’s F1 headquarters in Brackley.

The final stop in Hamilton’s farewell tour was in the UK, visiting the team’s main base.

Mercedes build their F1 cars in Brackley, while their power unit work is done in Brixworth.

It had been a busy week for the seven-time world champion following the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Hamilton visited Kuala Lumpur, the home of Mercedes sponsor Petronas, while he had lunch with the team’s shareholders in Stuttgart.

The final leg was a chance for Hamilton to say goodbye to all the staff and mechanics back at base, while he was paraded out of the factory with all of his championship-winning cars on display.

Hamilton gave a speech at the factory, standing alongside Toto Wolff and George Russell.

He said: “You know I'm leaving, [but] you guys are going to go and have so much more success moving forward because this is an incredible group of people. There's so much talent and so much passion here.

“Anyone would be lucky to be working with you. I hope that when I do eventually stop racing, I can come back and visit you all, and I know we can always look back on these fond memories, what a journey.

“There is no driver in the world that has had this experience with the team, and it makes it that much harder to let go. But I am taking with me the greatest memories. You guys have been living in my dream, and hopefully I have been living partly in your dreams too.

“So a huge, huge thank you from the bottom of my heart and, also my family thanks you for all the dedication all these years, so a big thank you everyone and God Bless you.”