Hamilton: 'I'm surprised I'm still standing after this year'

10:13, 04 Dec

Updated: 10:15, 04 Dec

4 Comments

byKada Sarkozi

Lewis Hamilton highlighted the importance of being resilient amid his difficult first year with Ferrari.

"I’ve even surprised myself that I’m still standing, given what I’ve gone through."

- Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton's debut Ferrari season has been a challenging one so far. The Briton is yet to score a Grand Prix podium for the Scuderia, despite achieving the team's first ever Sprint victory back at the Chinese Grand Prix.

He is currently sixth in the drivers' standings, and Ferrari can no longer fight for second place in the constructors' standings heading into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Talkingat an event organized by CFI in a Dubai restaurant, the seven-time world champion explained that he is surprised he is still standing.

The seven-time world champion commented: "Resilience has been the thing that I’ve really managed to continue to work on, it’s something you have to work on.

Hamilton in Qatar - Photo: Race Pictures

"That never giving up mentality. Because the easiest thing is to give up and I’m only human, so there are days where I’m like, ‘I really don’t want to go for the run’ or, there are days where you sometimes just don’t have the power to pull through but you have to continue to dig deep.

"I think also just learning that when you’re going through something, it will pass. In the moment it doesn’t feel like it’s going to ever pass because it feels like eternity.

"Like this year for me, I’ve even surprised myself that I’m still standing, given what I’ve gone through. The people around me [say], ‘of course you’re still standing’ because they see me in a certain way."

Hamilton misses FP1 in Abu Dhabi

The Briton will not drive the SF-25 during the first free practice session of the weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Throughout the year, a driver has to give up his seat on two occasions to a driver with no more than two F1 Grands Prix starts. This time, Arthur Leclerc will replace Hamilton.

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