Lewis Hamilton admits that he questioned his future in F1 after being punished for lying to race stewards last season.
Lewis Hamilton admits that he questioned his future in F1 after being punished for lying to race stewards last season.
The McLaren driver was persuaded by then sporting director Dave Ryan to mislead stewards over a race incident, but insisted he never considered switching teams after the incident in Melbourne.
"There was a lot to take on board after what had gone on," he told the Sunday Telegraph.
"I care about how people perceive me. It was a feeling of 'shoot, maybe I shouldn't be in the sport' rather than not in my team. This is my dream team and I am fortunate to have been here from the beginning.
"I never had a desire to drive for anyone else. So it was not a desire to leave the team, just to stop racing
. For a split second it was 'this is too much to take. How do I recover from this?'
"I never for a second didn't want to do it, I love racing. I just didn't know how to. Sometimes it is hard to face the music; hard to face people when you know that as soon as you turn your back they are talking about you.
"And for a long period of time, for months, I would walk into a room and I am sure there are some people who walked into the room and they feel cool but for me I just didn't feel positive, it was negative energy and I don't like that.
"I never had a desire to drive for anyone else. So it was not a desire to leave the team, just to stop racing.
"For a split second it was 'this is too much to take. How do I recover from this?"'