THIS YEAR HAS BEEN THE PITS

Hamilton glad season is over after gearbox issues see him retire with three laps remaining in Abu Dhabi finale

LEWIS HAMILTON was pleased this season “is over and done with” after he retired from yesterday’s race – recording the worst championship finishing position of his career.

As Max Verstappen (right) cruised to win No.15 from 22 rounds at Formula One’s season-ending finale in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton’s Mercedes gearbox expired with three laps remaining.

His demise dropped him to sixth in the final standings, 214 points adrift of Red Bull’s runaway championship winner Verstappen, and 35 points behind George Russell in the other Mercedes.

The seven-time world champion also lost his record of winning in every season of his career – a streak which stretched back to his debut campaign for McLaren in 2007.

“I am very pleased it is over and done with,” he said.

“I gave it everything, but ultimately the last race was like my whole season. It summed up my year.”

Mechanical gremlins struck his car after he hit the sausage kerb, launching him airborne, while duelling with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz on the opening lap.

He then lost out to Russell and complained his car was “broken”, before parking up on lap 55 of 58.

Hamilton departed Abu Dhabi last year pondering if he would ever return to F1, after Michael Masi’s officiating of the decider cost him a record eighth crown.

The 37-year-old decided against retirement but he will head into the winter break having finished lower than fifth in the championship for the first time.

“This year was not the greatest,” he said.

“It is probably up there with the top-three worst seasons. But in terms of how the team stayed united, there have been lots of pluses.

“It would have been nice to have taken a win. But one win is not really enough is it?”

Hamilton is due to take part in a tyre test here tomorrow before this year’s unruly Mercedes is consigned to history. “I might have to call a sickie, and say that maybe my back is hurting,” he added, with a wry smile.

A week ago, Russell ended Mercedes’ winning drought with the first victory of his career at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Here the British driver, 24, overcame a five-second penalty for an unsafe pits release to finish fourth and end his debut season at the Silver Arrows two places ahead of his team-mate.

He said: “If you told me at the start of the season I would finish 35 points clear of Lewis, I would have been incredibly proud and incredibly happy with that.

“I have no doubt he will be back to his normal levels if the car is capable of a championship win next year.”