Lewis Hamilton admits he is “glad” the 2022 Formula 1 season is over.
The seven-time world champion had a difficult final race in Abu Dhabi, suffering floor damage after running wide at Turn 6 on the opening lap while battling Carlos Sainz before retiring late on with a gearbox issue.
But his frustration was already clear after qualifying when Hamilton said he planned to never drive the W13 again following his outing in the post-season test on Tuesday.
“Ultimately, I think we started with a car we didn’t want and we finished with a car we didn’t want,” he said post-race.
“But we were basically stuck with it and we just kept trundling away, kept working away at improving it, but the fundamentals have still been there all the way to the end, as you saw this weekend.
“I think it’s been more of a team-building exercise this year. I hope the struggles this year really provide us with the tools and the strength to fight for many more championships moving forwards.”
2022 will officially go down as Hamilton’s worst season in F1 after failing to claim a pole or win for the first time since debuting in 2007, while P6 in the Drivers’ Championship also represents his lowest-ever finish.
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Asked about losing his 15-year win streak, the Briton said: “I always believed right to the last race there was potentially a chance [of winning]. I think it’s important to hold on to hope.
“I gave it everything and I think the last race almost summed up the whole year. I’m glad it’s done.”
Even so, Hamilton doesn’t rank this year as his “hardest” in F1.
“No, I think 2011 was probably the hardest year I had, just in terms of life,” he said.
“This year is not the greatest, it is up there with probably the top three of the worst seasons.
“But it’s been a much stronger year in terms of myself, in terms of how it worked with the team, how we’ve all stayed united. So I think there have been lots of pluses.”