Lewis Hamilton has donated a specially commissioned artwork to the Mercedes Formula 1 team as a way of thanks, as he begins his new chapter with Ferrari.
The 40-year-old and the German marque created together F1’s most successful driver-and-team partnership, with six Drivers’ Championships in 12 years, encompassing 84 Grand Prix victories.
To celebrate the long and illustrious partnership, Hamilton has requested the services of renowned F1 artist Paul Oz, who created an original artwork of Hamilton winning the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix.
The painting depicts one of the most poignant moments in the union between Hamilton and the team, the win coming one week after the passing of Mercedes’ non-executive chairman, Niki Lauda.
The Austrian F1 legend was instrumental in convincing Hamilton to join the team in 2013, and in tribute, the Briton wore a helmet replicating Lauda’s own design, plus a red halo.
The move to Mercedes raised many eyebrows at the time, with Hamilton having been affiliated with McLaren since boyhood, but Lauda’s persuasion led to the two forming a close bond.
3,000 prints have been made of the artwork, and distributed to all of the employees of the Mercedes team, with the original set to be hung at its Brackley base.
Hamilton announced he would leave Mercedes at the start of last year to join Ferrari, after a difficult few years which saw him take just two wins in three three seasons, both of which came in 2024.
Upon joining the Italian giants, Hamilton was received with open arms by the adoring Tifosi, who flocked to the team’s Fiorano test track to catch a glimpse of their new star.
Hamilton’s place at Mercedes has been taken by young Italian hotshot Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who moves up from Formula 2 to partner George Russell.
READ MORE – Toto Wolff: Adidas deal shows no Mercedes ‘hangover’ from Lewis Hamilton F1 exit
