Lewis Hamilton tells Billy Monger about "ups and downs" with Mercedes colleagues

Billy Monger got Lewis Hamilton to confess the difficulties in his relationships with Mercedes colleagues over the past year.

Hamilton ended his legendary stint at Mercedes with a brilliant drive from 16th to fourth at the season-ending F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

He strolled through the Abu Dhabi paddock afterwards with Monger, the racing driver who had both legs amputated after a huge crash and who now works for Channel 4 on their F1 coverage.

“I remember being a seven-year-old watching you on the sofa, jumping and down with my dad, when you won your first world championship,” Monger told Hamilton on Channel 4’s show.

“You have inspired so many kids and changed this paddock with your career.

“How has the process felt, moving to a team like Ferrari? Has it sunk in yet?”

Hamilton replied: “It hasn’t, honestly.

“I remember at the start of the year when I was printing off the contract, I couldn’t believe it was actually happening.

“It’s been a really, really long year. Tough, to firstly go with the announcement.

“Then, with the relationship, turbulence and ups and downs with people I’ve worked with for years.

“Managing that was really tough, throughout the whole year.

“There are so many people, and it has affected everybody. To go through this low time then come back and get to a point here, where love comes through.

“Beyond the upset, or people who can’t imagine you in red, now it’s ‘I wish you all the best’ or tears. It is beautiful. I am grateful to this team. It has been the honour of my life.

“I can’t believe I’ll be in red next year. It looks good on me! Hopefully I can make it work.”

Lewis Hamilton ends Mercedes career

The length of Hamilton’s brilliance in the F1 paddock can be measured in many ways, not least in his record-equalling seven titles, but also through the time he has known Monger.

Hamilton teased Monger: “It’s crazy to see this one here with a moustache because I’ve known him since he was young!

“I’m proud of him, he has done some amazing things.”

He added about ending his Mercedes tenure: “I feel a lot of pride. I am proud of the result and the drive. It has ended on a nice note and tone.

“All the board members and the team have smiles.

“I am proud of what we’ve done as a team, it’s been an honour to be a part of Mercedes.”

Final ‘it’s hammer time’ Lewis Hamilton radio

Peter Bonnington aka Bono has been Hamilton’s race engineer during his time at Mercedes. Together, they are F1’s most successful race engineer and driver duo.

Bono delivered his famous ‘it’s hammer time’ radio message one final time in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton said about the grand prix: “I didn’t enjoy the first part when everyone started on the medium and I started on the hard.

“I was like ‘shoot, have we got it right?’

“I did not have pace. I struggled with a lot of understeer. It wasn’t going particularly well. I thought it might be a race like Qatar which really sucked.

“I kept my head down and thought ‘it’s going to get better’.

“People were pitting and I saw on the board that I’d moved up. ‘Hammer time!’ It was cool to hear Bono say that because I haven’t for a while.

“I remember telling him in 2013, tell me ‘it’s hammer time!’ And he has never stopped.”