2020 was a "rollercoaster of emotions" - Hamilton

World champion Lewis Hamilton has spoken of the "rollercoaster of emotions" he has experienced during his record-equalling seventh championship year.

The Mercedes driver, who was awarded a knighthood in the 2021 New Year honours list, joined Michael Schumacher on seven titles in a year that was heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Scheduled to begin in March, the season eventually got underway in July in Austria with a drastically altered calendar raced largely in Europe.

Hamilton expressed his gratitude at being able to race through such difficult times but acknowledged the hardships faced by so many around the world.

"It has been an incredible year in terms of team success, but such a rollercoaster of emotions this year with so much happening with the pandemic," he explained.

"On the one side, truly grateful that Formula 1 got us back racing and back to work and we got to do what we love doing.

"But then the thought of isolation for everyone around the world and all the difficulties people have experienced, losing their jobs - so many different things, like I said it is a rollercoaster of emotions."

Mercedes became the first team in history to win seven world championships consecutively with Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas finishing first and second in the drivers' standings.

Hamilton praised his team for continually giving him the tools he needs to succeed.

He added: "In the end, I am just truly grateful for the team's efforts to provide us with a car that we can fight for the championship with.

"I am grateful we were able to race this year because there was a period of time where it didn't look like we would be."

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