PALMER: Hamilton’s battling Abu Dhabi drive was a fine farewell to Mercedes – and a promising prelude to his Ferrari move

After a year of ups and downs, Lewis Hamilton finally said goodbye to his Mercedes team at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and while he couldn’t finish with the podium he wanted, it was still a strong, combative weekend from the seven-time champ that will give him a boost heading into the winter.

Throughout this year Hamilton has struggled for one-lap pace compared to his team mate George Russell, but has often been much closer on race pace. Qatar was a real puzzler for Lewis, who had one of his toughest struggles yet, after his ‘Driver of the Day’ performance in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.