Hamilton complains: 'Mercedes did not make requested changes'

Hamilton doubted himself

"Ultimately, when you have difficult seasons like this, there are always going to be moments when you're like: 'Is it me, or is it the car? Do you still have it? Has it gone?' Because you're missing that, you know... when the magic happens, when everything comes together, the car and you, and that spark, it's extraordinary. And that's what you're in the search for," Hamilton said in a conversation with BBC.

So apart from having mixed feelings about his Mercedes car, Hamilton sometimes doubted himself. "I'm only human. If anyone in the world tells you they don't have those things, they're in denial. We're all human beings."

Yet at the same time, he remains critical of how his team has handled certain things. For instance, he says he sensed early in the F1 season that the W14 would not be able to live up to expectations but that Mercedes did not listen to him enough.

Hamilton: 'Mercedes didn't listen to me'

"I remember it feeling exactly the same. And that definitely was not a great feeling. I really had high hopes," Hamilton continued. "I'm sure there were frustrations, because I had asked for certain changes, and they weren't done."

What followed were some "tough conversations" with Mercedes. "No-one knew exactly what the problem was. No-one knew how to fix it. Having the experience of the previous year, I just applied myself, in terms of digging down, sitting with the guys. We were having much better meetings. I was able to stay a lot more positive during the year and be like: 'It's going to be a long season, but let's not give up. Let's keep pushing towards getting the maximum out of the car, whatever that may be," Hamilton said.