'Don't plan to drive this car again' - Lewis Hamilton ends F1 season WINLESS after Abu Dhabi DNF

Lewis Hamilton finished an F1 season winless for the first time in his career after he suffered a DNF in the closing race of the season in Abu Dhabi.

The Brit driver has suffered as a result of a number of issues with his car throughout the season.

Despite signs of improvement in the latter stages of the year, the car has been slower than the Ferraris and Red Bull’s throughout the bulk of the season.

In a season dominated by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton’s team were only able to pick up one Grand Prix victory which came in Brazil, thanks to the 37-year-old’s teammate, George Russell.

Hamilton’s final shot at victory came at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but his dissipating hopes of standing on the top step of the podium were finally quashed as he suffered a hydraulics issue with his car in the closing stages of the race.

The Brit driver has put in strong performances with several podium finishes, but he has been left disappointed by a lack of race win opportunities.
RULA ROUHANA

The Mercedes driver finished 5th in qualifying for the race on Saturday, a result he was deeply unhappy with after signs of promise in free practice sessions leading up to the Grand Prix.

“I am looking forward to the end of Tuesday which is the last time I will have to drive this thing,” he said.

“I don’t ever plan to drive it again. It will not be one of the cars I request to have in my contract.

“Everyone in the team knows the problems and where we have gone wrong. I am pretty confident that they are not going to build the next car with any of those characteristics.”

Mercedes were the tour de force of F1, winning a record eight constructors’ championships. However, they are 19 points adrift of Ferrari in the race for best of the rest behind Red Bull.

Max Verstappen emerged victorious in the concluding race of the 2022 season, an occasion which also marked Sebastian Vettel’s final outing in F1.