'Journey into the history books': Lewis Hamilton leaves Mercedes after six titles and 246 F1 races

Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes with one last overtake and a heartfelt message to the team where he won the Formula 1 title six times.

“We dreamed alone but together, we believed,” Hamilton told race engineer Peter Bonnington and team principal Toto Wolff over the radio.

"Thank you for all the courage, the determination and the passion for seeing me and supporting me. What started out as a leap of faith turned into a journey into the history books."

Hamilton is moving to Ferrari for 2025 after 12 years at Mercedes, where he won all but one of his seven career drivers’ championships. It was the most successful partnership between a team and driver in F1 history, and it ended with a pass on teammate George Russell for fourth place on the very last lap.

After the finish, Hamilton span his car into celebratory “donuts” for the crowd before climbing out for the last time and giving a double thumbs-up to chants of “Lewis.” He then crouched beside the Mercedes and patted the car.

Hamilton's move to Ferrari will see the British driver, who turns 40 next month, continue to seek an elusive eighth world title. That's something he was denied in 2021 in Abu Dhabi when Max Verstappen overtook on the last lap after a safety-car restart. It remains one of the most controversial moments in F1 history.

It's been nearly 10 months and an entire season since Hamilton's decision was announced in February, and he's admitted that his impending departure was a strain on his relationships within the team.

Hamilton started his 246th and last race with Mercedes from 16th on the grid after misfortune in qualifying that drew an apology from Wolff.

Hamilton made it up to 12th in the early laps but found it hard to progress from there. “I've got no pace, mate,” he said over the radio. It seemed like Hamilton's unlucky run in recent races was going to continue and cast a shadow over his farewell.

Gradually, however, things started to go his way. The strategy call to start on the more durable hard tire and finish on the faster medium compound paid off, and Hamilton gradually climbed through the field as other drivers had to pit.

A podium finish was even possible at one stage, Mercedes hoped, but Hamilton had to make do with catching Russell on the last lap. Still, “that was the drive of a world champion,” Wolff told Hamilton over the radio.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Lewis Hamilton of Britain kneels next to his car after his last race for the Mercedes team after the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Lewis Hamilton of Britain burns the tires after his last race for the Mercedes team after the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Lewis Hamilton of Britain reacts after his last race for the Mercedes team after the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain reacts after the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Cape Verde's magical start to its first World Cup isn't over. It might just be getting started.

The tiny island nation that stunned tournament favorite Spain last week did it again against Uruguay — a two-time World Cup champion — on Sunday, coming from behind for a 2-2 draw.

Kevin Pina scored on a free kick for Cape Verde's first-ever goal in the World Cup, and Helio Varela scored the equalizer for what has become one of the most surprising teams of the expanded 48-team tournament — a club now with a legitimate chance of getting into the knockout stage.

“This is something we owe to other smaller national teams,” Cape Verde coach Pedro Leitão Brito said through an interpreter. “Teams that struggled to qualify for a world tournament. We’re also here to show that a country may be small, may struggle financially, but if they are resilient, if they can endure struggle, they can also stand shoulder to shoulder with other major teams and with players who are on another level.”

The group of islands off Africa’s West coast have about 4,000 square meters (about 2.5 miles) of landmass and approximately a half million inhabitants, making Cape Verde the third-smallest nation by population to qualify for the World Cup.

Even as a large number of fans at Miami Stadium chanted for Uruguay throughout Sunday's match, Cape Verdean players seemed undaunted.

“Once you’re on the pitch, a lot of things become equal,” Leitão Brito said.

Cape Verdean fans who watched their squad pull off one of the stunners of the tournament last week by holding Spain to a scoreless draw continued their celebrations when Pina split Uruguay's wall and blasted a strike past diving goalie Fernando Muslera for a 1-0 lead in the 21st.

Maxi Araújo and Agustin Canobbio scored late first-half goals to put Uruguay ahead. But Varela, minutes after coming into the game in the second half, took advantage of a bad pass by Mathias Olivera and caught Muslera way off his line for a tying open-net goal and his first international score.

Varela celebrated by hopping into his teammates' arms and flexing atop their shoulders as Muslera and other Uruguay players dropped their heads in disappointment.

“The result, I think, was quite deserved,” coach Marcelo Bielsa said afterward through an interpreter.

It was Uruguay's second draw after a 1-1 finish against Saudi Arabia in their opener. La Celeste face Spain in their group stage finale, with an uphill climb to reach the knockout stage after failing to capitalize on several late chances to take the lead.

“The organizational mistakes that were made — that a squad makes — they always fall upon the driver,” Bielsa added. “What I mean by that is the head coach. ... There is no magical recipe whatsoever to fix them. It goes without saying we paid a very high cost for those mistakes.”

It was another special moment for Cape Verde's Vozinha, who became one of the tournament's breakout stars after shutting down Spain. The 40-year-old goalie had his mother in the stands for Sunday's match; she was unable to attend Cape Verde’s opening draw against Spain because she couldn’t obtain a visa.

It was also the first World Cup match with two starting goalies aged 40-plus. Muslera, who made his 18th World Cup appearance, turned 40 on June 16.

Vozinha waved at the crowd after the final whistle as his teammates ran to a section of Cape Verdean fans, who cheered and danced on their way out of the stadium as if they were celebrating a victory.

“You show up, you believe, and we work very hard as a team,” said Cape Verde defender Stopira. “I think all the world can see we play, we play very good, and we also have quality in the team. So now it’s on to the next game, and to try to reach the next one.”

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Cape Verde's Helio Varela controls the ball before scoring his side's second goal against Uruguay during the World Cup Group H soccer match in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Uruguay's Maxi Araujo, (20) scores his side's opening goal during the World Cup Group H soccer match against Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Cape Verde's Helio Varela, top, celebrates scoring his side's second goal against Uruguay during the World Cup Group H soccer match in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Cape Verde's Kevin Pina, second right, scores his team's first goalduring the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Cape Verde's Kevin Pina, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Cape Verde's Kevin Pina, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)