Hamilton 'has no reason to quit F1' - Verstappen

Newly-crowned F1 champion Max Verstappen feels Lewis Hamilton has no reason to quit the sport after losing the latest championship in such a controversial fashion.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff revealed he and Hamilton were feeling disillusioned following the events of Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in which they had suffered "pain and distress".

Wolff could offer no guarantee seven-time champion Hamilton will return next season, yet Red Bull driver Verstappen has urged the Briton not to walk away.

Assessing the impact on F1 if Hamilton opted not to return, speaking at the FIA Prize-Giving Gala in Paris, Verstappen said: "Of course, I can understand that the first few days, after a race like that, you're not happy.

"You should also understand this is racing and these things can happen to you.

"I think he should just look back at what he has achieved, and that should give him a lot of comfort and that drive to keep on going.

"He is still trying to challenge for that eighth title, and he can do that again next year, so I don't see any reason why to give up or stop now."

Verstappen understands Hamilton's pain

Given the way Hamilton lost out to Verstappen in the closing laps of the race at the Yas Marina Circuit, he can also appreciate the pain the 36-year-old will be feeling.

Asked whether he felt sorry for Hamilton, he replied: "No, I don't feel sorry but I can understand it can be very painful.

"At the end of the day, that's racing as well. You just have to keep fighting until the end and you know that in racing anything can happen.

"He also won a championship like that. I think he can understand as well."

Mercedes announced on Thursday morning it would not be pursuing an appeal of the stewards' decision that rejected a protest of Verstappen's victory.

Verstappen confirmed the threat over the past few days was not something that had bothered him.

"Not really," he stated. "We were having a really good time as a team because we knew we won it on track.

"And there was a green light or a green flag [with the stewards' verdict] and nobody could ever take that away from us, so I was in a good mood."

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