Lewis Hamilton admits struggle to remain focussed throughout 2019 F1 season

Lewis Hamilton has admitted he battled with mental "demons" throughout the 2019 Formula 1 season as he recorded his sixth Drivers' Championship victory to take him just one win away from Michael Schumacher's all-time record of seven.

Hamilton's second-place finish in Texas at the weekend meant that he once again lifted the famous trophy for a third season in a row, but he has admitted the struggles we perhaps don't see that were going on inside his head during another record-breaking season for the Brit.

Niki Lauda's death towards the start of the season clearly impacted Hamilton massively and he called it an "emotional rollercoaster" ever since the F1 legend sadly passed away.

"Trying to remain focussed throughout the year, that is the toughest, and only really other athletes who are at the top of their game can really probably relate to it," Hamilton said to Autosport.

"It's just, 'arrive week-in, week-out, can't drop the ball' - like I did (in qualifying in United States), for example - and being (able) to bounce back from the lower days. It's not been easy for us.

"We started the season honestly going off to Melbourne thinking we were going to be behind (Ferrari). It's been a real challenge, this second half of the season. It's been the toughest second half of the season that I think we've had as a team, fighting against Ferrari and Red Bull.

"Every year you go through a different rollercoaster ride of emotions to get where you're going. Each and every single one of us is struggling with something in life. Whatever it may be: small or big.

"I tried to show people that, from the outside, things always look great but it's not always the case. I am also struggling with lots of different things and battling certain demons and trying to make sure that I'm constantly growing as a person."