One of the biggest transfers in Formula 1 history was announced a few months ago. At the start of the 2024 season, it was confirmed that Lewis Hamilton would finish the year with the Mercedes AMG F1 Team before joining the legendary Scuderia Ferrari in 2025.
It shocked many, and for good reason: the most successful driver joining the most successful team is already incredible enough. But beyond that, Lewis Hamilton has been synonymous with Mercedes for 12 years now.
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A record-breaking tenure with a single team
By completing his 12th year with Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton sets a new record—the longest tenure with a single team in Formula 1 history. He joined the German outfit in 2013, partnering with Nico Rosberg, after six seasons with McLaren. The second-longest collaboration belongs to Michael Schumacher, who spent 11 seasons with Ferrari. Schumacher joined the Scuderia in 1996 and left in 2006, winning an incredible five World Championships during his time there. Beyond these two legends, Max Verstappen deserves a mention for his impressive longevity, especially given his youth. The four-time World Champion joined Red Bull Racing in 2016 and remains there in 2024, marking 9 years with the team. With this ongoing partnership, Verstappen is the only driver who might surpass Hamilton’s 12-year stint with Mercedes.
A tribute for his final race with Mercedes
As I write this, there are two Grands Prix left in the 2024 season: the Qatar GP, including its Sprint race, and the Abu Dhabi GP. If you’ve followed F1 for a while, you probably remember the image of a young Hamilton driving for McLaren. But even if you don’t, nothing is more inseparable than Mercedes AMG and the British driver. The two grew together, with Hamilton delivering countless victories to the German team and dominating F1 until 2021. This already-legendary 12-year collaboration couldn’t end without a heartfelt tribute. For his final race at Yas Marina Circuit, it appears Hamilton’s F1 car will sport a purple livery, a color close to the driver’s heart. Bottas was honored with a blue race suit for his final race with the Silver Arrows, so there’s no reason their multi-time World Champion shouldn’t receive the same treatment.
A purple livery for Hamilton’s F1 car at Abu Dhabi
Nurge Motorsport has envisioned and designed a tribute livery for Hamilton’s final race with Mercedes. It incorporates the driver’s favorite colors: purple, which covers much of the engine cover, halo, and nose of the car, and neon yellow, which accents the airbox vent, wheels, and sides of the car. Personally, I find this design stunning and think it complements Petronas’ blue and the black carbon base beautifully. With this last race, an era comes to an end, but a new one begins. Hamilton at Ferrari promises plenty of excitement, without a doubt.
This article explores the record-breaking tenure of the Hamilton-Mercedes partnership in Formula 1 and the purple livery designed to honor the British driver in his final race with the German team at the Abu Dhabi GP.
Source: Nurge Motorsport
