McLaren star admits he's had to deal with problems
Last Updated: November 10, 2011 3:48pm
Hamilton: Says he has experienced problems for the last two years
Lewis Hamilton has said he wants to cocoon himself in "a happy bubble" next season after admitting that personal issues have taken their toll over the last two years.
The McLaren driver presented a more upbeat air when speaking to the press on Thursday ahead of this weekend's in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix than he has in recent weeks.
Assessing exactly what is required to reverse his fortunes in 2012, Hamilton cited the example of team-mate Jenson Button, who has been producing some of the best performances of his career this season.
Button, who leads Hamilton by 38 points in the drivers' championship with two races to go, surrounds himself with a team including his father John, girlfriend Jessica Michibata, manager Richard Goddard and trainer Mikey Collier.
In contrast, Hamilton and his father Anthony fell out at the start of last year and after dispensing with his services as manager, the 2008 world champion ploughed a lone furrow before linking up with XIX Entertainment.
There has also been his break-up with long-term girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger to deal with; little wonder, then, that Hamilton is now casting envious eyes in Button's direction.
Disputing McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh's remark following the last race in India that Button's form was placing Hamilton under pressure, the Briton said: "I personally disagree with that.
Great job
"For me, there are not a lot of people that really understand the issues I've had this year, the problems I've been going through, which I've been going through for the last two years.
"It's very difficult. I just can't comment on them because it's not really the place or time to do so.
"But Jenson's done a great job to get things in the right place, like his dad who is there at every single race.
"Then he's got his management, his friends, his girlfriend there all the time. He's in a really, really happy place.
"He's got a great bubble around him which he's very happy with and with that he's able to go out and perform without any worries on his mind.
"I did have that at one point, but lost that bubble. I don't have it around me at the moment.
"But I'm working on having that for the future as the conscious and subconscious parts of your mind are very important in this business."
Hamilton, though, has dismissed all notion of employing a sports psychologist to help him through his problems, even though a number of top stars do so.
"I would never work with one. I never have and I never will," asserted Hamilton.
"But it is a priority for me to create an atmosphere around myself, a happy bubble where you are happy with your friends and family and the people you love most - just a big positive bubble.
"Every time I arrive (at a race) I feel positive, but at some races I'm less positive, less happy, so that's something I'm definitely going to try and correct before next season starts."
Whitmarsh further suggested in India, following Hamilton's sixth collision of the year with Ferrari's Felipe Massa, that his driver was too hard on himself.
Although not in the wrong 11 days ago, Hamilton again felt duty bound to apologise to all within the team, something for which he was admonished by Whitmarsh.
Disappointing
In response, Hamilton said: "That's the way I do it, and I've not really much to be happy about this year to be honest.
"I've had a couple of half-decent races and then the rest have been fairly disappointing.
"I look through the year at my results - fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, wherever it is - and one or two seconds and firsts here and there, and for me that's massive under-achievement.
"So I am hard on myself. I've always been a very hard individual and definitely probably too hard on myself, but that's just the way I am.
"I'm working on trying to be less hard on myself, but I take it personally because this is my life. I race with my heart, this is everything to me."
Credit: Sky Sports (www.skysports.com)
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