Abu Dhabi, Dec 5 : As Lewis Hamilton gears up for his 246th and final race with Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the seven-time Formula 1 champion has opened up about the emotional rollercoaster that has defined his farewell season with the Silver Arrows.

Speaking during Thursday's Drivers' Press Conference, Hamilton admitted to underestimating the challenges of his final year with the team following the announcement of his move to Ferrari for 2025.

Hamilton's revelation of his impending switch to Ferrari sent shockwaves through the F1 paddock earlier this year, and the repercussions were immediate within Mercedes. Reflecting on the start of the season, Hamilton described the tension in his relationship with the team:

"The first meeting with Toto (Wolff) at the beginning of the year was awkward, of course, so it was awkward from the get-go," he admitted.

The awkwardness was compounded by a team-building paintball event shortly after the news broke, which Hamilton described with a mix of humor and reflection: "The day after, when I took some of the team paintballing, they had just found out. So there's been loads of moments through the year. I got shot at a lot by people, loads of bruises. People went in on me that day."

Hamilton admitted that while he anticipated challenges, the reality of his final season was far more difficult than he had envisioned. "I anticipated it would be difficult but massively underestimated how difficult it would be. It was straining on the relationship very early on; it took time for people to get past it," he said.

The strain extended beyond his professional relationships, affecting his own ability to cope with the emotions of leaving the team that had been integral to his record-breaking career.

"So many of you have been here my whole career, so some of you, I think you've all seen the worst in me, and the best of me. And I'm not going to apologise for either because I'm only human, and I don't always get it right. And I would definitely say this year has been one of the worst in terms of handling that from my side, which I will work on trying to be better at.

"And as I said, just remember the good times. I've built some incredible relationships. If you imagine when you're going through a season together with so many people, not only on those race weekends are you riding the highs and lows together, but in their personal lives, through marriages, through divorces, through loss of family members, through cancer, through all sorts - you're going through these journeys with these people.

"So, it's a really beautiful journey you go on together, and being there for so long, the emotions run so deep."

/IANS