Lewis Hamilton could face “mixed emotions” if he leaves Mercedes with another victory

2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button believes Lewis Hamilton could face “mixed emotions” if he leaves Mercedes with another victory in either Qatar or Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton has two final races left with Mercedes before he makes the switch to Ferrari next year.

The 39-year-old has won six of his seven titles with Mercedes, with all of his success in F1 powered by the German brand.

While Hamilton has won two races this year, he will be hoping to bow out of Mercedes on a high by winning in Qatar or Abu Dhabi.

Mercedes took a 1-2 last time out in Las Vegas with George Russell taking the victory, and team boss Toto Wolff is confident this weekend’s race at the Losail International Circuit will suit the W15.

Speaking on the latest Sky F1 podcast, Button, who was teammates with Hamilton at McLaren between 2010 and 2012, explained why there could be mixed emotions if Mercedes were to win again.

“There’s every reason why they can fight for wins in the last two [races] and it would be a great sign off for Lewis,” Button said.

“It’s 10 years and a couple of days now since he won his first world championship with Mercedes and it would be lovely if he could sign off with a win.

“It’s definitely mixed emotions when you do that though. Because it’s lovely to sign off after 10 years with the team, but then you’re leaving that team and you’re like ‘hang on a second, was this the right decision?’ So, we will see.”

Based on 2024, Hamilton has made the right decision from a performance perspective.

Mercedes are in no man’s land in the constructors’ championship - well behind Red Bull but ahead of Aston Martin.

On the other hand, Ferrari are in the mix for the constructors’ title against McLaren.

With two rounds to go, just 24 points separate the top two teams.