Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has warned his Formula 1 rivals that he will be in the best form he has ever been when the 2022 season gets underway next month.
Hamilton enters the campaign after missing out on a record-breaking eighth World Championship under controversial circumstances last year.
The Briton enjoyed a strong finish to the 2021 season, taking victory at four of the final five races of the season, which included a startling recovery drive from the back of the field in Brazil.
Hamilton stayed silent on social media throughout the winter break after the Abu Dhabi controversy, leading some to question whether or not he would return to drive this year.
Speaking about his time off, Hamilton believes that his training, coupled with the emotional finale to the 2021 season, will see him perform better than he ever has before.
“With these long seasons the off time isn’t as long as you would hope for,” Hamilton said.
“It seems to get shorter and shorter. But I think over the years I’ve learned how to be efficient with my time, with my recovery, with training, with the building back up of the body and your mind.
“But I feel great. I feel fit. Naturally when you have an extra year of experience under your belt that always helps.
“I always feel like through these sort of experiences you can turn that emotions into strength and into power, and that’s what I’m doing.
“I’m putting that into my training. I’m putting that into the work I have with the men and women in this team.
“If you think that what you saw at the end of last year was my best, wait until you see this year.”
Hamilton sampled Mercedes’ W13 car for the first time on Friday at a Silverstone shakedown, hours after it was publicly launched.
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