Berliner Boersenzeitung - Hamilton 'lost a little bit of faith' after F1 title heartbreak

EUR -
AED 4.177061
AFN 81.880746
ALL 99.252011
AMD 444.590879
ANG 2.049629
AOA 1037.158904
ARS 1294.140504
AUD 1.780172
AWG 2.047025
AZN 1.934273
BAM 1.956825
BBD 2.294803
BDT 138.092365
BGN 1.957857
BHD 0.428625
BIF 3332.101328
BMD 1.137236
BND 1.492134
BOB 7.854392
BRL 6.605289
BSD 1.136596
BTN 97.022843
BWP 15.66621
BYN 3.71968
BYR 22289.824581
BZD 2.282996
CAD 1.574122
CDF 3271.827709
CHF 0.930816
CLF 0.028662
CLP 1099.8895
CNY 8.30054
CNH 8.306047
COP 4901.486936
CRC 571.199327
CUC 1.137236
CUP 30.136753
CVE 110.766012
CZK 25.063085
DJF 202.109303
DKK 7.466602
DOP 68.805429
DZD 150.758836
EGP 58.14335
ERN 17.058539
ETB 151.279275
FJD 2.597108
FKP 0.857926
GBP 0.857288
GEL 3.11624
GGP 0.857926
GHS 17.695226
GIP 0.857926
GMD 81.308645
GNF 9843.34469
GTQ 8.754588
GYD 238.429138
HKD 8.827976
HNL 29.46444
HRK 7.529411
HTG 148.317723
HUF 408.387093
IDR 19177.096068
ILS 4.180337
IMP 0.857926
INR 97.094362
IQD 1489.779092
IRR 47906.064943
ISK 145.100319
JEP 0.857926
JMD 179.644139
JOD 0.806641
JPY 161.853129
KES 147.269042
KGS 99.205075
KHR 4566.00226
KMF 493.004864
KPW 1023.518647
KRW 1613.043966
KWD 0.34871
KYD 0.947196
KZT 594.971784
LAK 24598.413673
LBP 101896.340892
LKR 339.937138
LRD 227.418736
LSL 21.444738
LTL 3.357962
LVL 0.687903
LYD 6.220968
MAD 10.547909
MDL 19.662304
MGA 5177.713287
MKD 61.514233
MMK 2387.530139
MNT 4022.532693
MOP 9.086962
MRU 44.847502
MUR 51.277935
MVR 17.51173
MWK 1974.241931
MXN 22.425326
MYR 5.012366
MZN 72.675065
NAD 21.444738
NGN 1824.91419
NIO 41.821916
NOK 11.92757
NPR 155.236349
NZD 1.917428
OMR 0.437833
PAB 1.136596
PEN 4.279431
PGK 4.700463
PHP 64.495497
PKR 319.106406
PLN 4.278742
PYG 9097.767521
QAR 4.140223
RON 4.978935
RSD 117.291464
RUB 93.451578
RWF 1609.188866
SAR 4.267179
SBD 9.516785
SCR 16.196165
SDG 682.914226
SEK 10.940409
SGD 1.490626
SHP 0.893689
SLE 25.900597
SLL 23847.250746
SOS 649.925676
SRD 42.24872
STD 23538.488054
SVC 9.945212
SYP 14786.663141
SZL 21.402912
THB 37.923377
TJS 12.206811
TMT 3.980326
TND 3.398079
TOP 2.663519
TRY 43.420522
TTD 7.712041
TWD 36.987508
TZS 3056.319626
UAH 47.101683
UGX 4166.329832
USD 1.137236
UYU 47.664978
UZS 14768.739292
VES 91.955341
VND 29420.293975
VUV 138.799625
WST 3.16989
XAF 656.312471
XAG 0.034867
XAU 0.000342
XCD 3.073437
XDR 0.816192
XOF 653.91086
XPF 119.331742
YER 278.907389
ZAR 21.42589
ZMK 10236.488002
ZMW 32.36396
ZWL 366.189511
  • JRI

    0.1600

    12.4

    +1.29%

  • BCC

    0.7800

    93.47

    +0.83%

  • BTI

    0.5400

    42.37

    +1.27%

  • RELX

    1.0000

    52.2

    +1.92%

  • RBGPF

    63.5900

    63.59

    +100%

  • NGG

    0.6300

    72.11

    +0.87%

  • RIO

    1.0100

    58.17

    +1.74%

  • CMSD

    0.0400

    21.96

    +0.18%

  • SCS

    0.0500

    9.76

    +0.51%

  • GSK

    0.5600

    35.93

    +1.56%

  • AZN

    0.5400

    67.59

    +0.8%

  • BCE

    0.4200

    22.04

    +1.91%

  • BP

    0.6600

    28.32

    +2.33%

  • RYCEF

    -0.1400

    9.36

    -1.5%

  • CMSC

    0.0400

    21.82

    +0.18%

  • VOD

    0.1400

    9.31

    +1.5%

Hamilton 'lost a little bit of faith' after F1 title heartbreak
Hamilton 'lost a little bit of faith' after F1 title heartbreak

Hamilton 'lost a little bit of faith' after F1 title heartbreak

Lewis Hamilton says he "lost a little bit of faith" in Formula One after the traumatic end to his 2021 world championship campaign but vowed not to let the setback define his career.

Text size:

The British driver was poised to capture a record-breaking eighth world title in December's season finale in Abu Dhabi before a controversial safety car restart allowed Max Verstappen to pass him on the final lap.

The 37-year-old was disillusioned following his defeat at Yas Marina and at one stage it was unclear whether he would return to the grid.

Michael Masi was removed as F1 race director on Thursday after his controversial role in orchestrating the one-lap showdown for the title.

Speaking on Friday at the launch of the Mercedes car for the 2022 season, Hamilton said he asks himself every year if he has the desire it takes to become a world champion.

"That is a normal mental process for me, but this year was compounded by a significant factor about a sport I have loved my whole life," he said, addressing the media for the first time since the agony of his defeat.

"There was a moment where I lost a little bit of faith. I put faith and trust alongside each other and trust can be lost in a blink of an eye or a flick of a finger.

"But I am a determined person and I like to think to myself that while moments like this might define other people's careers, I will refuse to let it define mine."

The FIA has also announced an overhaul of race control, while its inquiry into the final laps in Abu Dhabi is ongoing.

Hamilton said he was pleased that the governing body was taking steps to improve procedures, adding: "We have to use this moment to make sure this never happens to anybody else in this sport ever again."

- Attack pledge -

The British driver revealed he had not revisited the race, adding that he did not blame Dutch rival Verstappen for what happened.

"It was obviously a difficult time for me," he said. "I just unplugged and switched off. It took time to digest what happened and it is still difficult to fully understand everything.

"But eventually I got to a point where I decided I was going to be attacking again coming into another season."

Mercedes lodged, and then dropped, their appeal against the result of the race in a reported quid pro quo agreement that Masi would be removed by the FIA.

But Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: "Dropping the appeal being linked to anyone leaving the FIA is not true.

"The restructuring at the FIA regarding how decisions are being made was necessary. Last year was a great season but it created a lot of polarisation with decisions that were not always easy to understand."

Masi, who will be offered a new position within the FIA, found himself in the line of fire after calling in the safety car for the final lap and controversially allowing the backmarkers between race leader Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves.

That led to a one lap shoot-out between Hamilton and Verstappen, who with fresh tyres had a huge advantage and he exploited it to stunning effect when he picked Hamilton off to seal the title.

Mercedes have reverted from black -- used for the past two seasons in the fight against racism -- to their traditional silver colours for the new campaign.

Hamilton and his new team-mate, fellow British driver George Russell, will be in action at next week's first test in Barcelona ahead of the new season, which starts in Bahrain on March 20.

(S.G.Stein--BBZ)