Hamilton has struggled to 'handle emotions' in 2024

Lewis Hamilton says he has struggled pinch his emotions during his last play pinch Mercedes but yet wants to extremity his 12-year profession pinch the squad "the correct way".

The 39-year-old has signed a multi-year woody to subordinate Ferrari successful 2025 and will return portion successful his past title for the Silver Arrows successful Abu Dhabi this weekend.

Hamilton secured six of his record-equalling 7 drivers' championships pinch the squad but has recovered it difficult to replicate that aforesaid shape since losing retired connected a historical eighth title successful 2021.

"It's been a very affectional twelvemonth for maine and I don't deliberation I've been the champion astatine handling my emotions this year," said Hamilton connected Thursday.

"You've seen the champion of maine and the worst of me, but I'm not going to apologise arsenic I'm human."

Following the controversial climax to the 2021 play astatine Yas Marina, Mercedes person fallen down rivals Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari successful the constructors' standings.

In Qatar past week, Hamilton commented that he was "definitely not accelerated immoderate more" aft a disappointing capacity successful sprint qualifying.

He did extremity his winless drought pinch a stunning triumph connected location ungraded astatine Silverstone successful July, but it was 10 races successful earlier he stood connected the podium pinch a third-place decorativeness successful Barcelona.

The daze announcement that Hamilton would beryllium switching to the Italian squad adjacent twelvemonth was made earlier the commencement of the season, pinch the Briton describing his first gathering afterwards pinch squad main Toto Wolff arsenic "awkward".

"Ultimately I anticipated it would beryllium difficult but massively underestimated really difficult it would be," he added.

"Realising these are the past moments pinch the team, it's difficult to picture the emotion - not the top of course."

However, he says location is overmuch to look guardant to arsenic he embarks connected a caller section pinch the Scuderia.

"It's a dream script for immoderate driver [joining Ferrari]," Hamilton said. "But it's not an easy measurement to subordinate a caller team, it takes clip to build relationships and study the tools."

Hamilton is seventh successful the drivers' championship, 24 points down team-mate George Russell successful sixth, and said of this weekend: "These days will beryllium ace emotional."