Lewis Hamilton says he will “give it absolutely everything” for his final three races with Mercedes despite feeling like walking away after struggling badly in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion finished 10th in the grand prix and 11th in the sprint race in Interlagos three weeks ago.
Following the main race, he described it as “a disaster of a weekend” on team radio, adding: “If this is the last time I get to perform it was a shame it wasn’t great but [I am] grateful for you.”
The 39-year-old Briton is joining Ferrari next season after 12 years with Mercedes, a period in which he won six of his seven drivers’ championships.
Asked about the Sao Paulo radio message before this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, Hamilton said: “In the moment, that’s how I felt. I didn’t really want to come back after that weekend but that’s only natural.”
After losing out on the 2021 drivers’ title on the final lap of the season to Max Verstappen, Hamilton did not win a race in the 2022 and 2023 seasons as Mercedes struggled to adapt to new regulations.
The team appeared to have overcome their difficulties when winning three out of four races in the middle of this season, with Hamilton victorious in the British and Belgian Grands Prix.
However, he and team-mate George Russell had a series of accidents in the US Grand Prix last month and Hamilton was unhappy with the handling of his car in Brazil.
Referencing his troubles in Sao Paulo, Hamilton said: “In the heat of the moment, for sure I’d much rather be on the beach and chilling and ‘I don’t need to do this’.”
He added: “It wasn’t a great feeling in that moment but I’m here, I’m standing strong and I’m going to give it absolutely everything for these last few races.
“Nothing can take me down. I’ve got a team that I genuinely still love and even though I’m leaving, I want to give them the best that I can in these next races.
“If they provide a car that wants to stay on track, then hopefully we’ll have a better result.”
