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Lewis Hamilton said on Wednesday he had shrugged off his deep disappointment after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and vowed to give his all for Mercedes in his final three races before joining Ferrari.
The seven-time world champion admitted he had felt like “not coming back” in a radio reaction at the end of the race in Brazil where he finished 10th but had recovered and now wanted to give his best -even for “a team I like”.
Speaking to reporters ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, the first in a series of three successive weekends, he was asked about a radio exchange between the team in which he suggested that he was ready to leave.
In the radio transmission he said: “It was a disastrous weekend, the worst the car has ever been. Thanks for contributing to this effort and great job to all the guys at the pit stop.
“If this is the last time I play, it’s a shame it’s not great, but (I’m) grateful.”
Hamilton, 39, will end a hugely successful 12-year spell at Mercedes after the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix next month (December).
– “The drivers are united” –
“At the time, that’s what I felt, like I didn’t really want to come back after this weekend,” he explained.
“In the heat of the moment, for sure, I would much rather be on the beach and relax… And I don’t need to do that, but I’m here, I love this job and I’m going to give it I gave everything during these last races and I finished strong.
“That was always the plan.”
In a candid mood, he told Sky Sports he had shaken off those feelings.
“Honestly, I feel like I’m in the best place I’ve been all year, mentally, and considering how bad the last race was, I think that says enough.
“I’ve been involved in this game for a long time. So many things have been said about me.
“I’m still here, I’m still fighting and I’m going to keep attacking.
“I have a team that I really still love and even though I’m leaving, I want to make sure I give them my best in these next few races.
“If they provide a car that wants to stay on the track, I hope we get a better result.”
Hamilton also added his weight to a call from drivers, through the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA), to the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the sport’s governing body, for greater communication and transparency on the use of money paid to drivers and team fines.
He said they would “sue them” if there was no response from the FIA to a joint statement sent earlier this month.
“I know there’s a lot going on at the moment, but I think it shows that more than ever drivers are united, which is maybe not something we’ve seen in the past ” he said.
“There are some things that need to be resolved and the FIA needs to work better and collaborate with us.”
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