David Coulthard believes that Lewis Hamilton will have moved on quite quickly from the shock of his 2021 title defeat in Abu Dhabi – far quicker than Mercedes boss Toto Wolff or the team as a whole. Hamilton has gone to ground since the race, not giving any interviews or official comments, while he has refrained from posting a single item on his social media channels. Despite all of this, Coulthard doubts that Hamilton is as bothered by the title loss as some fans might imagine him to be. "I think he will be bored with everyone saying to him, 'You were robbed, Lewis!', or, 'You're the people's champion, Lewis!'" Coulthard told The Telegraph . "He'll be avoiding even having those conversations."
Coulthard believes Hamilton will continue in F1
Rumours have swirled since Abu Dhabi that seven-time champion Hamilton may decide to call time on his career, due to the arrival of a new era in F1 as the technical regulations go through revolutionary changes that mean Mercedes aren't certain to have a fast car. But Coulthard reckons Hamilton will continue in the sport, pointing to the new contract that the British driver signed during the season. "The big decision was when he committed to that new two-year [Mercedes] contract midway through last season," he said. "I don't think Abu Dhabi changes anything. Of course, he would have liked to have won. I think he was very emotional, as anyone would be under the circumstances. "But I think the reality is the shock was probably far less for him than it would have been for Toto, or the rest of the team, or his fans." Recalling his own experiences of fighting near the top of F1 with Williams and McLaren some 20 years ago, Coulthard explained how the emotions of a battle quickly wear off. "I can't compare myself to Lewis in terms of success or speed but one thing I think I can relate to is that emotional detachment, once the moment's gone," he explained. "The euphoria of success wears off quite quickly, and the disappointment of defeat wears off quite quickly as well."
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