Saturday, 19 February 2022 – 14:48 WIB
VIVA – Lewis Hamilton says he has “lost a bit of faith” in Formula One (F1) after the traumatic end of his 2021 world championship campaign but vows not to let setbacks define his career.
The Briton was poised to claim an eighth world title in December’s season finale in Abu Dhabi before a controversial safety car restart allowed Max Verstappen to overtake him on the final lap.
The 37-year-old was disappointed after his loss at Yas Marina and at one stage it was not clear if he would return to the grid.
Michael Masi was removed as F1 racing director Thursday after his controversial role in organizing the fight for the title. Hamilton admits that every year he asks himself if he has the desire to become world champion.
“It’s a normal mental process for me, but this year it was made worse by a significant factor about the sport I’ve loved all my life,” Hamilton said, speaking to the media at the launch of the 2022 Mercedes F1 car.
“There were moments where I lost a little bit of trust. I put my trust and trust in each other and trust can be lost in the blink of an eye or the snap of a finger.”
“But I am a persistent person and I like to reason with myself that times like this might define someone else’s career, I would refuse to let it define mine.”
