Lewis Hamilton's F1 "passion" underlined after recent Covid fight - Ross Brawn

Formula 1

Hamilton's F1 "passion" underlined after recent Covid fight - Brawn

Seven-time champion said he was "blown" after Abu Dhabi GP

Ian Parkes

Monday 14 December 2020 15:29

Ross Brawn believes Lewis Hamilton's "passion" for Formula 1 was underlined by his decision to drive in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix despite being weakened after recovering from Covid-19.

Hamilton returned from 10-days of self-isolation for the race at the Yas Marina Circuit after contracting the virus following his win in the Bahrain Grand Prix, forcing him to miss the subsequent Sakhir GP.

The seven-time champion, however, conceded after qualifying he still had breathing difficulties and had lost weight, while following his third place in the race, he claimed he had never felt so "blown".

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Formula 1's managing director motorsports Brawn believes it is to Hamilton's credit he opted to return, even though he had nothing to effectively race for.

"Lewis was a touch under the weather this weekend, but he did everything he could to be fit enough to race," said Brawn in his final post-race column of the season.

"With the title won, he could easily have taken the race off, as we’ve seen how hard Covid-19 can hit you, but that is not his style.

"Lewis showed his passion for the sport by pushing through when unwell and it was an impressive effort to make the podium."

Brawn is hoping Max Verstappen's victory, the 10th of the Red Bull driver's F1 career, will also now serve as a platform for a sustained title challenge from the Dutchman and his team in 2021.

Although Verstappen finished third in the drivers' standings, he scored podiums in 11 of the 12 races in which he finished, with his five retirements all beyond his control.

"It was great to see Red Bull and Max Verstappen win on merit and the result can give us some optimism that there will be more great battles at the front next year, especially as the cars aren’t changing that much," added Brawn.

"This weekend in Abu Dhabi proved that Formula 1 is all about fine margins. This time, Mercedes were off a little bit, and Red Bull executed their weekend brilliantly.

"What is encouraging is if you think back to the beginning of the year, Mercedes had a big advantage but over the course of the season Red Bull have been chipping away at that. The RB16 didn’t work but they got it sorted."