Lewis Hamilton channelled his inner Terminator as he delivered a defiant end-of-season message to his fans after a troubled 2022.
For the first time in his Formula 1 career, Hamilton went through an entire season without recording a victory as Mercedes were comprehensively outpaced by Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
Mercedes were miles off the pace of Red Bull and Ferrari in the first half of the season as they struggled to get on top of the bouncing which afflicted many cars following the drastic overhaul of technical regulations.
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The Silver Arrows did eventually overcome the problem and gradually became more competitive, with Hamilton and Russell securing a host of podiums. Russell then led a Mercedes one-two at the penultimate race of the season in Brazil.
However, Hamilton then endured a drab end to the year in Abu Dhabi, where he retired with three laps to go while Russell finished fifth.
There was one final job for Hamilton to complete in 2022, the end-of-season tyre test in Abu Dhabi. After completing 67 laps at the Yas Marina Circuit, the seven-time world champion reflected on the campaign in a message to his fans on social media.
“I’m pretty sure I speak for all of us when I say I’m glad the season has finally come to an end. Won’t miss it!,” he posted.
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(Image: Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
“Still, l want to thank my team for all the hard work this year. Through it all, we pushed on and learned so much that will get us back to the top next year.
“I have no doubt we’ll come back better. We’ll be back. I’ll be back,” he concluded coining Arnold Schwarzenegger’s phase from the legendary Termininate films.
Speaking on Sunday, Hamilton admitted the final race summed up the season as a whole.
“I am very pleased it is over and done with,” said Hamilton, who finished sixth in the standings and 35 points behind teammate Russell. “I gave it everything, but ultimately the last race was like my whole season. It summed up my year.”
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