Lewis Hamilton admitted it felt “emotional” and “surreal” to take part in the final Formula One car launch of his Mercedes career on Wednesday. Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One world champion, will leave Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season in a stunning switch to Ferrari. 

The 39-year-old had signed a new two-year deal with Mercedes worth £100 million ($126 million) in August. But Hamilton recently activated a break clause to seal his move to the Italian team after admitting the prospect of “driving in Ferrari red” was too hard to turn down.