Lewis Hamilton's alarming comments speak volumes ahead of F1 Hungarian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton 'doesn't care' where he finishes in F1 this season
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Lewis Hamilton sounded alarmingly downbeat when speaking ahead of this weekend's F1 Hungarian Grand Prix.
It's been a nightmare season for the Mercedes star so far, with Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez leading the charge to the title.
Hamilton sits in fourth having amassed 121 points so far but would require a miracle to add to his record of seven Drivers' Championships.
Earlier in the week, he made it clear he was already focusing on next year.
Lewis Hamilton has struggled to rival Max Verstappen in F1 this season
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“Last year was very, very, very hard,” he told Channel 4.
“I can’t even put words how difficult it was for the team.
“The car was just…I can’t say anymore and obviously the work we’ve done in terms of towards the end of the year.
"Obviously we had a good race [in Sao Paulo] but then to start this year, again, kind of on the back foot.
“It’s definitely been a much more positive year for us, I think we’ve made bigger strides.
"We’ve had some good results on the podium, it’s more it’s really hard to predict where we’re going with the steps that we’re starting to take.
“We have a new wing this weekend so it’s not a huge update, but people work so hard just for that wing so I’m hoping that it helps us take a step in the right direction.
"Bit by bit as we bolt on these things, the car’s becoming more and more of a race car.
“Look if we’re competing like last year towards the end of this season, on one side that’s a good thing on another, the other teams have probably switched off and focused on the next year.
“I really don’t care what position I finish in this year.
"I’m just focused on just trying to give the best development information for the team, working with the guys to make sure we steer this car in the right way and when we start the first race or the first test next year we hit the ground running."
While his comment about 'not caring' where he finishes sounds alarming, however, it's also a testament to his remarkable mentality.
Hamilton wants only the best. As a serial winner, that's something that's completely understandable.
And his comments also show that he's likely to stay with Mercedes too.
As ever there's been talk of the Stevenage-born driver quitting the Silver Arrows to race for another team instead.
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Lewis Hamilton has hinted he'll stay with Mercedes despite F1 frustrations this season
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But Hamilton appears to have signalled that he's happy to stay put and continue to fight for improvements, both on and off the grid.
That will be welcome news to Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, who would hate to lose his star racer.
Hamilton has every right to feel disgruntled about life at Mercedes these days with Red Bull, and Verstappen, now superior.
However, his comments bode well at a time when many have feared the Brit potentially walking away from the sport ahead of schedule.
Hamilton may not be happy but it's reasonable to expect he'll be Mercedes' main driver next season, too.