Lewis Hamilton’s heartfelt F1 grid dinner photo melts fans' hearts ahead of Abu Dhabi GP finale

Lewis Hamilton’s “Class of 2025” dinner photo has given fans a rare, wholesome look at the F1 grid off-duty

Lewis Hamilton has shared a post to his Instagram that has melted the hearts of fans as a difficult 2025 Formula 1 season for the driver comes to an end in Abu Dhabi. The photo, a group shot of the grid enjoying a dinner of sushi together ahead of the final grand prix, accompanies a caption from the seven-time world champion.

“We’re the only people in the world to do what we do and for that we’re incredibly lucky,” he wrote. “I’m grateful for this group of drivers I have the privilege of racing against and even though we’re competitors, there’s nothing but respect and I’m proud to call them friends. Hope to give you all a great last race of the season.”

Within a matter of hours, the post had collected over two million likes and a tidal wave of comments from fans and followers of the Ferrari driver as they discussed the moment.

As expected, one of the main talking points between commenters was the bill. The top comment asked: “Important question… Who paid the bill?” Hundreds of replies quickly followed, many confidently insisting “Lewis of course” or joking that another driver might have picked up the tab. Others chimed in with “Who got the bill this time” and “Great, now show us the table plan."

Pierre Gasly later confirmed that he paid for the "expensive" meal.

The overall reaction was overwhelmingly emotional as fans thanked their favourite drivers for what has been an intense final year of the current regulations.

“I love how they’re all like besties really," one wrote as another added, "Thank you guys for this year!"

The World Drivers Championship trophy

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Hamilton standing alongside his long-time rival Max Verstappen was also a point of conversation, with one fan writing, “You and Max next to each other brings me such joy" - a comment that received over 20,000 likes.

Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg was missing from the meal, as were the two Aston Martin drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.

"It was nice, to be honest," McLaren's Lando Norris said in a video by Sky Sports while standing alongside his team-mate Oscar Piastri. "It was actually nice that we all get together once a year.

"We had our team barbecue as well last night so that was also a nice thing. So we missed probably the entrees and the starters and stuff, but it was a nice dinner."

For a season that has been challenging for a number of the drivers across the grid, including Hamilton and his team-mate Charles Leclerc, this class of 2025 photo proves that rivalries rarely extend further than the asphalt.