Hamilton chose to disappear from public life for much of the winter following his F1 title loss to Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi .
The British driver was disillusioned with Formula 1 after losing the lead and the world championship due to the decisions of former race director Michael Masi during the safety car caused by Nicholas Latifi. However, Hamilton says he never seriously considered retiring and returned to the track in Barcelona with the Mercedes W13 in pre-season testing.
At 37 years old, the Mercedes man is nearing the end of his Formula 1 career, but he has always maintained that he feels he is at the top of his career, on his way to achieving an eighth world championship that would be an absolute record.
Looking ahead to the new season, Hamilton explained that he obviously thought about his future during his break away from F1, but saw no reason to retire as he looked at his best behind the wheel.
“Logically I think at the end of any season, probably for those who are around my age, of course you’re thinking about the future,” Lewis Hamilton said.
“You’re thinking about what are the next steps, what are the right steps to take, what’s the right thing for you in terms of overall happiness. So I always weigh all my options.”
“But I made a commitment to the team at the beginning of the season and I love what I do. I love being part of the team. I love working, and I’ve said it many times, working with everyone towards a common goal.”
“I feel like I’m at my best. So why would I have to leave? There are so many different ways you can re-motivate and refocus, and I’d say this winter is one of the best I’ve ever experienced.”
“So today I feel fresher than ever.”
Hamilton was absent from all social media following his title loss in Abu Dhabi until a few days before the Mercedes car was unveiled in mid-February.
The seven-time world champion admitted that F1 was “certainly the last thing he wanted to talk to anyone about” over the winter, and he prioritized spending time with his family.
“Of course I talk to my father about those things, because it’s something we started together, but this time we didn’t touch on it,” Hamilton said.
“In general, it was more about being present, living in the moment, creating memories. I know that sometimes in life we get so focused, and we get stuck on certain things like work, that we forget to do those things.”
“It was a great time just refreshing, looking back. It was the best period of time I’ve ever had with my family.”
After contesting the three days of pre-season testing in Barcelona last month, Hamilton will return to the cockpit of the Mercedes W13 this week with the second week of testing in Bahrain from 10-12 March.
After that, the Bahrain Grand Prix will finally arrive, which opens the 2022 season, on March 20.
