Lewis Hamilton admitted he hasn’t dealt with the emotional pressure of his coming departure from Mercedes properly at instances this yr.
The seven-times world champion confirmed earlier than the season started that he wouldn’t proceed with the workforce for a thirteenth yr in 2025, having signed a deal to drive for Ferrari. He admitted that has triggered troublesome moments between him and Mercedes over the course of the yr, beginning with workforce principal Toto Wolff.
“The primary assembly with Toto in the beginning of the yr was awkward, in fact,” mentioned Hamilton in at this time’s FIA press convention. “So it was awkward from the get-go.
“The day after I took among the workforce paintballing they usually had simply came upon. So there was a great deal of moments via the yr. I received numerous photographs [from] individuals, I had a great deal of bruises. Individuals went in on me that day.”
Hamilton mentioned he didn’t realise how arduous his resolution to depart would make life on the workforce this yr. “I feel finally, undoubtedly I anticipated it could be troublesome, however I massively underestimated how troublesome it could be,” he mentioned. “It was straining on the connection very early on. It took time for individuals to recover from, get previous it.”
His type has fluctuated this yr. Although he received twice within the area of three races at mid-season, he has had conspicuously poor performances in current rounds, notably in Brazil and final week in Qatar. His qualifying has been constantly beneath par and final week he mentioned he was “undoubtedly not quick”.
He admitted he dealt with the state of affairs poorly at instances. “It’s been a really emotional yr for me and I feel I’ve not been at my greatest in dealing with and coping with these feelings,” he mentioned. “I feel this yr, and so a lot of you’ve got been right here my complete profession, so a few of you I feel you’ve all seen the worst of me and seen the most effective of me.
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“I’m not going to apologise for both as a result of I’m solely human and I don’t at all times get it proper. And I’d undoubtedly would say this yr has been one of many worst when it comes to dealing with in that from my aspect, which I’ll work on attempting to be higher at.
“However I hope the nice and the highs far outweigh the negatives and the way I’ve dealt with it or behaved. And as I mentioned, I simply keep in mind the nice instances.”
That is solely the second time in Hamilton’s 17-year F1 profession that he has left a workforce. Nevertheless he mentioned the expertise of shifting on from Mercedes has been a lot more durable than becoming a member of them from McLaren on the finish of 2012.
“It undoubtedly wasn’t as painful and troublesome as this yr has been when it comes to the feelings,” he mentioned. “I feel as a result of it was on the finish of the yr, it was a lot faster and there wasn’t sufficient time for it to essentially settle in for anybody, I feel, inside the workforce.
“So this one’s far more emotional as a result of I’ve been with the workforce so lengthy and we’ve been via a lot collectively.”
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