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Lewis Hamilton said he was “happy to be alive” after recovering from the coronavirus to finish the Formula 1 season with a third place finish.
The world champion missed the penultimate race in Bahrain a week ago after contracting Covid-19, but recovered in time to race in Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton said after the race: “I’m devastated. I don’t feel good.”
“But I’m happy and grateful to be alive. I live to fight another day and still managed to finish with a podium.”
The 35-year-old Mercedes driver tested positive for Covid-19 a day after winning the Bahrain Grand Prix last month, was forced to skip the Sakhir GP on the same track a week later and spent 10 days in isolation before a negative test. on Wednesday he released him to travel to Abu Dhabi.
“Covid is not a joke,” he said. “I never thought it would be. I knew that at some point if I succeeded it would be difficult because there are people losing their lives. So I knew it was serious.”
“I always find it very strange to see world leaders laugh like nothing.
“To be able to come back here this weekend, I knew that physically I would not be where I have been the rest of the season, but I made it. Where there is a will, there is a way.”
Although he admitted he was not feeling well, Hamilton said he was determined to return to Abu Dhabi as long as he tested negative in time.
“It would have been a big gap between Bahrain [race] one and race one [next year]”Said Hamilton,” so it was important for me to go back and get back to continuity and finish the year strong with the team. “
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the season finale, with Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas in second place.
‘One of the hardest years’
Hamilton has become the most successful driver in Formula 1 history this year, breaking Michael Schumacher’s all-time winning record and matching the German’s achievements of seven titles.
But he said it had been a difficult year because of the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus.
The season was initially suspended in March and F1 put in place a system of protocols that has kept people separate as much as possible to start over.
And drivers have had to isolate themselves as much as possible to minimize the risks of contracting the virus and derailing their seasons.
Hamilton said: “This year has been one of the hardest, if not the hardest, because we have all dealt with isolation.
“We have not been surrounded by people; there has been a great loss of life. Life is not normal.
“I am grateful to have been able to compete and these races can mean a lot to you, so for me it is definitely a great achievement for F1 to get us racing again.
“Thank God for the well-being and health of everyone here, the sport has managed to get through the year safely.”
Contract talks are imminent
Hamilton does not yet have a contract for next season. He and team boss Toto Wolff agreed to delay talks until he had secured the championship, to avoid distractions or health risks, but Hamilton’s illness caused them to have to be delayed again.
Hamilton said: “Hopefully for the next several weeks. We’d love to finish it before Christmas.
“I plan to be here next year. I want to be here next year. We as a team have more to do together, more to accomplish, both in sport and outside of sport I think. I hope we can start discussions of this. week and hopefully finish before Christmas. “
Wolff said, “That’s going to happen. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t happen. We will have this conversation.
“The virus delayed us another 10 days, two weeks and then we have to sit down maybe virtually, maybe live.”
