Lewis Hamilton left a note for Kimi Antonelli on the drivers’ room wall
Mercedes shared a glimpse of the message left by Lewis Hamilton for Kimi Antonelli, in what will be the new room of his rookie teammate. The seven-time world champion made this gesture after saying an emotional farewell to this room, marking his departure from the team.
After his transfer to Ferrari for 2025, Lewis Hamilton has embarked on his last season with Mercedes, aware that some moments shared with the team would be the last. Thus, when the Brit realized he would no longer spend time in his room at the team’s European motorhome after the Italian Grand Prix, it triggered a lot of emotions, as recounted by Stephen Lord, the race team coordinator and a close collaborator of Hamilton, during a special episode of Beyond The Grid.
« It’s an interesting insight into Lewis’s personality, which people might not see », explained Stephen Lord. « It was after the race at Monza, obviously the last European leg. Lewis was upstairs, he had just finished the debriefing with the engineers. »
In Europe, we have a racing base with an engineering suite on the top floor. At the back of this suite, the drivers have their own rooms, equipped with massage beds and all their gear ready for use. There is also a bathroom with a shower and toilet.
« After the debriefing, the engineers had left, so Lewis was alone in the room. I went up, grabbed a few things, then went back down. Lewis then came down, ready to leave and go home. But at the bottom of the stairs, he stopped, turned around, and went back up. I thought he had forgotten something and didn’t pay much attention. Ten minutes later, he came back down and called out to Carlos, our Race Team Logistics Manager. »
« You could see that Lewis was very moved. He said to Carlos, ‘I just realized that I will never see this room again. I am really moved. I can’t leave, I feel sad to leave this room because I spent so many years here and I won’t see it again.’ He was visibly touched to leave this place behind. »
A message left for Antonelli
After this poignant moment, Lewis Hamilton left the room. Stephen Lord, meanwhile, went back to collect the last belongings of the 39-year-old driver, where he discovered something else that Lewis had left behind.
« Upon entering the room, I saw a long handwritten message on the wall. It was a note for Kimi, welcoming her to her new room and wishing her success. It spoke beautifully about the team, explaining that ‘if you take care of them, they will take care of you, because it is a wonderful team,’ he continued.
« I thought, ‘Wow, what a beautiful gesture.’ We even had a glass pane cut to protect it, and it will stay there forever. When I went to check the bathroom to make sure everything was tidied up, I found another detail. Above the toilet paper holder, Lewis had written ‘Lewis was here’ with a big smiley face. I found it amusing. But the message for Kimi was really special. »
Lewis Hamilton having contested his last race for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi, the Briton will begin his new chapter with Ferrari in 2025. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli will make the leap from Formula 2 to join George Russell at Mercedes.
