Lewis Hamilton: I wanted to quit Mercedes early

Lewis Hamilton has admitted his cryptic post-race radio message in Brazil earlier this month, when he suggested he might have raced for Mercedes “for the last time”, was genuine and that he really did consider sitting out the final three races of the season.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion admitted he “didn’t want to come back” for the last three races and just wanted “to be on a beach chilling” ahead of his move to Ferrari in the new year.

Hamilton, who will turn 40 in January, insisted it was only said “in the heat of the moment”, adding that he had had a morale-boosting period since then and was now ready to “give it absolutely everything” in the final three races of the season and try to end his record-breaking 12-year stint at Mercedes on a high.

“I mean, in the moment that’s how I felt, like I didn’t really want to come back after that weekend,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1 of his thought process at the end of a “disaster of a weekend” in Brazil, where he struggled to 10th. “But I think that’s only natural. It’s frustrating when you have a season like this, which I’m pretty sure I won’t have again, or at least I’ll work towards not having again.

“It wasn’t a great feeling in that moment. But I’m here, I’m standing strong and I’m going to give it absolutely everything for these last few faces.”

Later, in his main press conference, Hamilton expanded on his thoughts. “In the heat of the moment for sure I’d much rather be on the beach chilling,” he said. “I don’t need to do this.

“It didn’t feel great obviously that last race. But I’ve had an amazing past week, with lots of other great projects I’ve been working on… the F1 movie, obviously I’ve just dropped a collaboration here with Tyler The Creator. That’s what makes those things important, to be able to rebound from difficult weekends like that.”

Hamilton denied that he had a point to prove to his team principal, Toto Wolff, who claimed in a new book that he “liked” the situation Mercedes found themselves in after Hamilton dropped the bombshell news earlier this year that he was joining Ferrari from 2025. Wolff explained that everyone had a “shelf life” and that Formula One was a sport in which “cognitive sharpness” was “extremely important”.

Hamilton noted that Wolff had since clarified his comments, but insisted he did not feel he had a point to prove.

“No, I think just me being here standing tall, I feel strong, I’ve been training well, I feel great,” he said. “Honestly, I feel 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 around this game for a long time. There’s been so many things that are said about me, there’s been so many micro-aggressions – obviously not from my boss because he’s been supportive over all these years and we’ve achieved a lot together – but I mean in general, within the media and through it all, and nothing can take me down.”

‘We’re a bit fed up with the FIA’

Meanwhile, Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell led widespread driver criticism of the sport’s governing body the FIA in Las Vegas.

Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), said drivers “weren’t made aware” of the decision to remove the race director Niels Wittich three races before the end of the season and admitted they were “a bit fed up” with the leadership of the sport’s governing body, the FIA, and in particular its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

The GPDA recently penned an open letter asking the FIA to treat them “like adults” after a controversy over drivers swearing in news conferences, and asking for more transparency over where their fines went. Russell admitted the FIA had not got back to the GPDA.

“There are a number of drivers who feel a bit fed up with the whole situation and it only seems to be going to a degree in the wrong direction,” he said.