Lewis Hamilton reveals how close he came to QUITTING Mercedes before the end of the F1 season after Brazil GP fiasco

LEWIS HAMILTON was acceptable to discontinue Mercedes with 3 races of the play inactive to go.

Britain’s seven-time satellite champ endured the lowest mates of days of his glittering Formula 1 vocation successful Brazil a fortnight ago.

He slammed his car arsenic “the worst it’s ever been” aft what helium described arsenic a “disaster of a weekend”.

Hamilton finished tenth successful the rain-lashed Sao Paulo Grand Prix having crossed the enactment 11th successful the Interlagos sprint contention 24 hours earlier.

The 39-year-old — who joins Ferrari adjacent play — past uttered a cryptic remark to his mechanics implicit the squad radio.

He said: “If this is the past clip I get to execute it was a shame it wasn’t large but I’m grateful for you.”

Hamilton aboriginal remarked helium “could happily spell and instrumentality a holiday”.

Mercedes tried to play down the driver’s comments.

But up of Sunday’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, Hamilton revealed helium was genuinely acceptable to discontinue Toto Wolff’s Brackley-based squad aboriginal arsenic his 12-year Mercedes vocation threatened to pain retired with a whimper.

He said: “In the infinitesimal that’s however I felt, similar I didn’t truly privation to travel backmost aft that weekend. That’s lone natural.

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“It’s frustrating erstwhile you person a play similar this, which I’m beauteous definite I won’t person again, oregon astatine slightest I’ll enactment towards not having again.

“It wasn’t a large feeling successful that moment, but I’m here.

“I’m lasting beardown and I’m going to springiness it perfectly everything for these past fewer races.”

Hamilton finished 50 seconds down victor Max Verstappen successful Brazil — adjacent though Red Bull’s triple satellite champ started down him connected the grid — and 27sec adrift of team-mate George Russell, who crossed the enactment successful fourth.

Despite ending a 2½-year winless streak astatine the British Grand Prix successful July, Hamilton is ­seventh successful the satellite championship, 203 points down Verstappen.

While helium sits a spot and 2 points backmost from Russell.

Hamilton was asked astir Mercedes brag Wolff saying helium “liked” that the Brit chose to permission the squad arsenic it whitethorn person stopped him from perchance having to get escaped of him astatine a aboriginal date.

Wolff besides spoke of Hamilton ­having a “shelf life” successful ­Mercedes’ all-access publication Inside Mercedes F1: Life successful the Fast Lane.

When Hamilton was asked if helium felt helium had a constituent to prove, the racer who has won six of his 7 satellite crowns astatine Mercedes, replied: “No. Just maine being here, lasting tall, I consciousness strong. I’ve been grooming well, I consciousness great.

“Honestly, I consciousness successful the champion spot I’ve been each twelvemonth mentally and considering however atrocious the past contention was, that says enough.

“I’ve been astir this crippled for a agelong time.

“There person been truthful many  things said astir me, truthful galore ­micro-aggressions.

“Not from my boss, due to the fact that he’s been supportive each these years and we’ve achieved a batch together, but successful wide and done it all, thing tin instrumentality maine down.

“I’m inactive here, inactive warring and I’m going to proceed to push.

“I’ve got a squad 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 then, hopefully, we’ll person a amended result.”