Hamilton outlines 'dream' finish with Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton has outlined what he thinks would be a "dream" finish with Mercedes, as he enters his final Formula 1 season with the Silver Arrows.

The news that Hamilton would join Ferrari in 2025 shocked the driver market, leading to questions over whether he would still be motivated to perform at his best for a team that will be his rivals next year.

Ferrari was in a tight battle with Mercedes for second in the Constructors' Championship, with the latter beating them by three points by the end of the season in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton, who has been with Mercedes since the 2013 and used their engines for his entire F1 career, outlined how he would like to finish his career off with the team.

"I feel the most motivated and focused I've ever been. I genuinely feel like I've put more work, time and focus into preparation this year," said Hamilton.

"I never thought that at this point in my life that I would have hunger like I do right now. To finish on the high with this team, it would be a dream.

"We've gone through a whole heap together, so to finish on a high would be the greatest honour to be able to help them get back to the top."

Hamilton: Every year the car has a different characteristic

Mercedes launched the W15 to much anticipation ahead of the new season, with Team Principal Toto Wolff claiming that they have changed "almost every component" in a bid to close the gap to Red Bull.

Hamilton believes much of the groundwork at pre-season testing will consist of finessing much of what they know about the car, to prevent the swings in set up that they experienced last year with the W14.

"When we get to Bahrain, it's basically two weeks before the first race. That's where you get to see all the other cars come out the garage, you get to see and compare and look at the detailing between different cars," said Hamilton.

"Then some moments you'll get to experience out with other cars on track. But mostly you get to experience what the car is like.

"Every year there's a different characteristic, [it's about] how do you discover that characteristic? Then figure out how to hone them in and finesse them."