Watch: Toto Wolff's heartfelt farewell speech for Lewis Hamilton as the Mercedes partnership ends

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff delivered an emotional farewell message to Lewis Hamilton on his last visit to the Brackley and Brixworth factories located in the United Kingdom. The Austrian boss called Hamilton the "greatest" and invoked Niki Lauda's name while conveying the team's happiness at their journey together.

Hamilton announced in February 2024 that he was departing Mercedes to join Ferrari, to the shock of the F1 world. Following the conclusion of his farewell season, the Silver Arrows arranged a final tour for Hamilton to honor their historic association.

The 39-year-old driver went to Malaysia to thank Mercedes' sponsor Petronas and on his return to the UK visited factories at Brackley and Brixworth for the last time. Surrounded by hundreds of employees, Toto Wolff delivered a special speech to acknowledge their extraordinary partnership.

In a video released on Mercedes' official Instagram account, Wolff said,

"The name Lewis Hamilton will stand for a long time as the greatest. I will be telling my grandchildren to be proud because I was a part of Lewis Hamilton's journey. And that is something we can all be very proud of, for however many years you've been here, whether it was one month or 12 years, like I have been."

Wolff also mentioned the late Mercedes legend Niki Lauda to say:

"I think Niki would have taken his cap off because of this journey with you. We all need to pinch ourselves that we were part of your journey with Mercedes."

You can watch Wolff's speech below:

Niki Lauda played an important role as Mercedes' non-executive chairman in convincing Hamilton to take a leap of faith in 2013 and join forces with the team. While skeptical at first, the British driver trusted Lauda, and the rest is history.

Hamilton will move to Maranello to join Ferrari in 2025. He signed a multi-year contract and will replace Carlos Sainz in the second seat.

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Toto Wolff appreciates Lewis Hamilton's "magical" skills

Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff (Image Source: Getty)

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff rates Lewis Hamilton's driving skills highly. Speaking on the "High Performance" podcast, Wolff was asked what set Hamilton apart from his peers. Wolff replied (via f1i),

"Magic. And that combines all of the skills. The genes, the talent, and the nurturing from his father in the early years. Hard work ethic, intelligence, social intelligence, no-fear attitude, constant development of himself."

Hamilton is one of the most successful drivers in F1 with seven championships and 105 race victories. He achieved the majority of those milestones with Mercedes.

However, the Silver Arrows' dominance took a hit after 2021, and the 39-year-old driver struggled to stay competitive, let alone win races. Hamilton's association with Ferrari's offer brings to an end to his 11-year historic partnership with Mercedes.