Abu Dhabi [UAE], November 30 : Lewis Hamilton has admitted to questioning if he "still has it" amid Mercedes' relative F1 struggles, after finishing a second consecutive season without a Grand Prix victory.
When the sport's turbo-hybrid era began in 2014, Hamilton and Mercedes united to devastating effect, with the driver adding six world titles in seven years to the crown he previously gained at McLaren and the Silver Arrows capturing eight championships in a row.
However, after being dethroned by Red Bull's Max Verstappen in a closely fought 2021 season, Hamilton has been unable to make another title attempt as Mercedes struggles to develop a winning car under F1's current ground effect ruleset.
The 38-year-old admitted that the challenges he faced raised some questions in his mind.
"Ultimately, when you have difficult seasons like this, there are always going to be moments when you're like, 'Is it me, or is it the car? Do you still have it? Has it gone?'" said Hamilton as Formula 1 quoted.
"Because you're missing that, you know... When the magic happens, when everything comes together, the car and you, and that spark, it's extraordinary. And that's what you're in the search for. I'm only human. If anyone in the world tells you they don't have those things, they're in denial. We're all human beings," he added.
Despite these reservations, Hamilton finished third in the drivers' standings, trailing Red Bull's Verstappen and Sergio Perez, with teammate George Russell 59 points behind in eighth.
Hamilton expressed satisfaction with his personal race-day achievements but believes there is still work to be done in qualifying, with the Mercedes drivers finishing even in terms of one-lap head-to-heads.
"Most of my race performances have been really good. So that, I am happy with - building back up to the level I should be. Qualifying is still an area that needs to be improved. We struggle as a team to get the performance out of these tyres. You'll notice there was one weekend where George would be massively off and I'd be OK, and then it switched the other way. And those are down to small details with the car," Hamilton said.
Hamilton is the most successful driver in F1 history, with seven world championships, 103 race victories, 104 pole positions, 197 podium finishes, and over 4,600 points.
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