Hamilton wins fourth F1 title despite finishing ninth in Mexico

there’s more in me.

“I think there’s more to come, more of a challenge. There’s harder times ahead and I like that, I love that. That’s challenging and it would be so boring without it.”

Rosberg announced last December, days after securing his first title, that he was retiring after a career spent battling Hamilton.

The German, a family man, made clear he had been drained by the 2016 campaign and was not prepared to expend the same amount of physical and mental energy to defend a title that had been so hard to win.

Hamilton, who is expected to agree a contract extension soon, said the fact that Vettel had signed for three more years with Ferrari, keeping him there until 2020, was also a source of motivation.

“I’m like: ‘Ferrari are not going to like me for the next couple of years’,” he said.

“But it’s OK because we are going to make it as hard as it can possibly be for them to win championships. I really am looking forward to that battle with them.”