Lewis Hamilton made a sensational climb from P16 to finish P4 in his farewell race for Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi GP on Sunday. In doing so, his last victim turned out to be teammate George Russell who got outmaneuvered on the final lap.
Hamilton‘s former Mercedes partner Nico Rosberg could not see the move live as he went to the podium to interview the top three drivers. But when he did, he couldn’t help but be in awe of the seven-time World Champion’s brilliance.
“That was insane,” said Rosberg. “The way he lined him up. It was perfection through that whole section around the back, right on the amazing.”
Sky Sports then released the clip of Rosberg reacting to Hamilton’s overtake when he finally got to watch it. “The drive of seven-time world champion. There you go,” the German added.
do NOT snort coke watch nico rosberg talk about lewis hamilton’s last lap overtake instead pic.twitter.com/Qlh1a6mcnr
— maheen (@rosberggs) December 8, 2024
Hamilton’s drive perfectly fulfilled his wish to end his legendary stint at Mercedes on a high. While he was a strong contender for the Driver of the Day award, his performance was overshadowed by Charles Leclerc, who delivered an extraordinary climb from P19 to a P3 podium finish. Sadly, Leclerc’s efforts were wasted as Lando Norris’ win secured the constructors’ championship win for McLaren—their first since 1998.
Looking at the future now, the two best drivers from Abu Dhabi this year—Leclerc and Hamilton—will join hands at Ferrari in 2025. The future is full of excitement for the Maranello-based outfit.
Fierce battle for title in 2025
Next year, three teams could be in contention for the title: Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull. With Hamilton joining the Tifosi in Italy, Ferrari arguably boasts the strongest lineup in F1 on paper. Meanwhile, McLaren’s unit has also shown that they can outscore their rivals with consistent performances.
Additionally, the Drivers’ Championship could be much closer than in recent years, with multiple contenders vying for the title. Hamilton would be yearning to win his 8th championship, and with one of the fastest cars on the grid, he would be fancying his chances. Norris too, after the Abu Dhabi outing, declared that ‘next year is my year‘.
With such stiff competition, F1 could be heading toward its most entertaining season in years. The second half of the current season provided a glimpse, with three teams consistently battling for victories.
