Lewis Hamilton admits considering early Mercedes F1 exit and skipping Las Vegas GP

The Brazilian Grand Prix was specified a hard acquisition for Lewis Hamilton that helium said aft the contention helium was minded to instrumentality a vacation alternatively of racing successful Las Vegas

Lewis Hamilton has admitted helium "didn't truly privation to travel back" for the last races of the season.

In Brazil earlier this month, the seven-time F1 champion suffered an embarrassing Q1 exit earlier limping to 10th successful the bedewed race. Hamilton has a estimation for being outstanding successful the rainfall but could not get his Mercedes car to travel alive.

After that chastening experience, helium said he "could happily spell and instrumentality a holiday" and suggested implicit the vigor that it could beryllium his "last time" racing for Mercedes. The squad played down the imaginable of that happening but, up of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Hamilton has present admitted helium disliked the car truthful overmuch that, successful the moment, helium meant it.

He said: "In the moment, that was however I felt - I did not truly privation to travel backmost aft that weekend. But I deliberation that is lone natural. It is frustrating erstwhile you person a play similar this, which I americium beauteous definite I volition not person again, oregon astatine slightest I volition enactment towards not having again.

"It was not a large feeling successful that moment. But I americium here, I americium lasting beardown and I americium going to springiness it perfectly everything for these past fewer races."

Hamilton decided earlier the existent play began that it would beryllium his past with Mercedes. He volition crook 40 successful aboriginal January, by which clip helium volition officially beryllium a Ferrari operator and is acceptable to trial with the celebrated Italian marque for the archetypal clip aboriginal that month.

His existent boss, Toto Wolff, sparked waves by suggesting Hamilton has "a support life" and claiming helium "liked" that the Brit chose to leave connected his own, truthful helium could debar having to axe him erstwhile the clip came. This week, the Austrian said his comments were "taken a small spot retired of context".

When Wolff's words were enactment to him, Hamilton insisted helium did not consciousness arsenic if helium had a constituent to beryllium to his soon-to-be-former boss. He replied: "No. I deliberation conscionable maine being present lasting tall, I consciousness strong, I person been grooming well, I consciousness great. Honestly, I consciousness successful the champion spot I person been each twelvemonth mentally and, considering however atrocious the past contention was, I deliberation that says enough.

"I person been astir this crippled for a agelong time. There person been truthful galore things that are said astir me, determination person been truthful galore micro-aggressions - evidently not from my brag due to the fact that helium has been supportive implicit each these years and we person achieved a batch unneurotic - but I mean successful general, wrong the media and done it all, and thing tin instrumentality maine down.

"I americium inactive here, inactive warring and I americium going to proceed to push. I person got a squad that I genuinely inactive emotion and, adjacent though I americium leaving, I privation to marque definite I springiness them the champion I tin successful these adjacent races. If they supply a car that wants to enactment connected way past hopefully we volition person a amended result."