Hamilton asked himself 'is it me or is it the car?'

LONDON : Lewis Hamilton has admitted to moments of self doubt after the 38-year-old Mercedes driver's second successive Formula One season without a win.

Speaking to the BBC and others in an interview published on Wednesday, the seven-times world champion and most successful driver in the sport's history with a record 103 wins said it was normal to ask such questions.

"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?'," said the Briton, who ended the season third overall.

"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.

"I'm only human," he added. "If anyone in the world tells you they don't have those things, they're in denial. We're all human beings."

Hamilton last won a race in Saudi Arabia in December 2021 when he was battling Red Bull's Max Verstappen for the title, with the Dutch driver ultimately prevailing in controversial circumstances in Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen and his team won both titles last year and have enjoyed the most dominant season ever this season, Red Bull winning 21 of 22 races and the now triple champion a record 19 of them.

Hamilton said he knew it would be another tough year before it had even started when he tested the car and it felt no different.

The Briton was complaining already at the opening race in Bahrain that Mercedes were on the wrong track and had not listened to him.

The team, who still ended the year second overall, have since changed concept for 2024 with team boss Toto Wolff saying in Abu Dhabi last weekend that almost every component was