Hamilton details 'emotional' build-up to final Mercedes season

Lewis Hamilton has conceded the build-up to his final season with Mercedes has been "emotional" and "surreal".

The seven-time champion will bring what will be a 12-season stint with the Silver Arrows to an end at the end of the upcoming campaign having already announced a switch to Ferrari for 2025.

But Hamilton remains focused on providing success with Mercedes after two barren years since the introduction of F1's latest aerodynamic regulations and speaking at the launch of the new W15 at Silverstone, the Briton explained: "It [the build-up] has been emotional, it is very surreal.

"I came here in 2013, 11 years with the team and beginning my 12th. It is such a privilege to work with people where you see the work they do over the winter and see a car come together at the beginning of the year.

"It's the most exciting part of the season really, you are seeing everyone's launches, this is the first time I've seen the car come together as a whole.

"To know everything that is underneath the hood, that people won't get to see but George and I will be able to experience on the track, it is exciting."

'I have always loved working with the team'

George Russell secured the German marque's only victory in two years at the 2022 São Paulo Grand Prix, whilst Hamilton picked up his only pole position in the same period in Hungary last term.

Ahead of a shakedown at the home of the British Grand Prix, Hamilton explained: "The focus is first getting the team back to where we once were.

"We have had this difficult couple of years which have been really grounding for us, it has helped us to regroup and look at things.

"Now it is just going through the important process of being diligent with our work, going through the data and maximising through practice... even the one lap we might get in the rain could give George and I a feeling of what's to come.

"I have always loved working with the team, particularly when there is so many people, there is such a huge human element in the background.

"It is all about high performance and there is this machine that we are building and that carries us across the line - without all those people working so incredibly hard, we would never get to where we need to be.

"So it is great when we all have a common goal and when we all focus on that across a year, it is a privilege."