“The best! Get the (8) 9! Thank you x": Top 5 tribute messages from Lewis Hamilton’s helmet signed by Mercedes colleagues

After spending 12 seasons with Mercedes-AMG, Lewis Hamilton has finally bid adieu to the iconic German team. Hamilton's colleagues wrote tribute messages on his racing helmet as a token of appreciation for the seven-time world champion, pictures of which were shared on social media.

With 246 race starts, 84 wins, 78 pole positions, 153 podiums and 55 fastest laps, Hamilton is the most successful driver for Mercedes. Since joining the team in 2013 as a replacement for seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, the Stevenage-born racer became a force to reckon with on the F1 grid. Joining the team as a 2008 world champion, Hamilton went on to add six more Drivers' titles (2014, 2015, 2017-2020) to his tally with the Brackley-based squad.

He was also responsible for Mercedes securing eight consecutive Constructor titles (2014-2021), along with the 2016 champion Nico Rosberg and Finnish racer Valtteri Bottas. As a token of appreciation for the 39-year-old Brit's work with the team, his Mercedes colleagues wrote tribute messages on his racing helmet.

Here's a look at the Top 5 messages from his teammates shared on X by a Hamilton fan:

"The best! Get the (8) 9! Thank you x"

"We'll miss you! BUONA FORTUNA."

"From idol to colleagues to friends," a colleague wrote.

"Greatest of all time, thanks for letting me be a part ...," another colleague added a heartfelt thank you note.

"Loved every minute, thanks for everything," a colleague quoted.

From winning his first championship in a Mercedes race car in an epic 2014 season to winning at Silverstone on three wheels and equaling Schumacher's title-win record at Turkey in 2020 to clinching the top podium spot after starting at the back of the grid in Sao Paulo in 2021, Hamilton has had some breakthrough moments with Mercedes through the years.

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"I’m always going to be wishing you all the absolute best" - Lewis Hamilton's heartfelt final debrief at Mercedes as the seven-time champion embarks on a new journey in Formula 1

With the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season, Lewis Hamilton is set to begin a new journey in the sport with Ferrari. The seven-time champion shared a heartfelt final debrief at Mercedes for the entire team.

"You know, Mercedes has changed my life. Growing up in Stevenage, dreaming of one day being in Formula 1 and being a World Champion. And definitely back then, it was me and my two parents. I didn’t know that there would be a huge amount of people that I get to work with, who would be the ones to lift me up and take me on that journey to winning something like that."

"I’m going to always be looking on the screens and seeing where you guys are. I’m always going to be wishing you all the absolute best. I believe in you. I’ll continue to believe in you. And when you do have that success, I’ll be so proud of you, to know that I was hopefully a little bit part of your dream that you’re living as well. So, a huge thank you to you all. All my love. I want to wish you and your families well," Hamilton added.

A video of the debrief was shared on X by Mercedes-AMG. Here's a look at the post:

Hamilton signed a multi-year contract with Ferrari, starting in the 2025 season.