Lewis Hamilton feels 'incredibly honored' to be with Mercedes ahead of 200th F1 GP start with the team

Lewis Hamilton is one of the most successful drivers on the F1 grid. He and Mercedes dominated the sport from 2014 to 2021, winning several Drivers' and Constructors' titles. The seven-time world champion will be driving for Mercedes for the 200th time at the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend.

Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, at the drivers' press conference, Hamilton expressed how honored he was to be in Mercedes for so long. He spoke about being loyal to the team that gave him so many wins and titles.

Lewis Hamilton said:

"It's been an amazing journey, one that I'm incredibly honoured to have been on with Mercedes. And it's, I think, it's one of the longest standing drivers with a team? So, proud of that. Shows loyalty continues to be at the core of one of the many pillars of the values that we have as a team and looking forward to extending."

Though Mercedes struggled a lot at the start of the season, they have gradually clawed their way back to the podium finishes. At the 2022 F1 Brazilian GP, George Russell clinched his first F1 career win, with Lewis Hamilton finishing second. The latter was asked about Brazil's success and whether the team could replicate the result in Abu Dhabi.

The Briton said:

"Who knows? We are still improving the car. We don't believe that this track will necessarily be our strongest. We think it's suited to the others a little bit better, but I won't know 'til I get out there, to be honest. I hope that it's like the last race."

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Lewis Hamilton doesn't need any prioritization for his record, feels Toto Wolff

Going into the final race of the season, Lewis Hamilton will be hungry for a race victory. The Briton has maintained a brilliant record of winning at least one race in every F1 season he drives in. Hence, the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi GP is his only chance to keep extending that record.

In a post-race interaction in Brazil, Toto Wolff expressed how Hamilton doesn't need to prioritize and focus on the record. He further explained how the team will try to end the season on a high and start working on the 2023 F1 season.

Toto Wolff said:

"Lewis doesn't need any prioritization and it's not what he ever would want. This race record of winning a race in every single season is less of a priority for him. It's more that we're getting the car back to where it can be, and we are racing for more race victories next year and hopefully for championship."

Mercedes' team principal hopes that the team can grab more race wins and even challenge for the championship next season. After a tough 2022 F1 season, Toto Wolff is completely focused on the next year.