Former F1 champion admits Hamilton concern after 2023 season

Former Formula 1 champion Damon Hill has raised concerns about Lewis Hamilton's future mentality, prompted by comments made after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Mercedes clinched second place in the constructors' championship ahead of Ferrari. However, Hamilton just scraped points with a ninth-place finish in the Abu Dhabi race.

This somewhat disappointing result prompted Hamilton to label the 2023 season as 'not a great year' and express his concerns for the upcoming season.

“It's not been a great year in general,” Hamilton said. “The fact I survived it. Probably that's about it. At this moment, I don't really know. For Red Bull to win by 17 seconds and they haven't developed their car since August is definitely a concern.

"We have learned a lot about the car and it's just down to the team now. They know what they need to do. Whether or not we will get there, we will see."

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Hill concerned by lack of optimism

Hill expressed concern over the mentality of the seven-time world champion, interpreting Hamilton’s post-race comments as quite gloomy.

"I mean Lewis is often like that after a race that has not delivered what he wanted,” Hill said. “George managed to get something out of this weekend, he had a difficult time. It’s been a long hard year, he’ll bounce back after that.

“But the worrying thing is when Rachel [Brookes] asked him about hope on what’s coming, he wasn’t effervescent about it. I think on reflection I’m sure they will come back, they’ve got to have learnt something from the last two seasons."

Mercedes clinched second place in the constructors' championship, but the final outcome wasn't determined until the closing moments of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Despite Charles Leclerc's attempts to impact the championship standings,George Russell delivered an outstanding performance, securing third place in the race and second in the championship.

READ MORE: Norris backed to rival Verstappen and Hamilton as F1 champion

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