F1 | Hamilton: “I gave my best, but it's difficult to overtake here”

Lewis Hamilton he didn't end the season as he would have liked - on the top step of the podium -, but he still congratulates the winner and teammate Bottas, which ad Abu Dhabi he brought home his third victory of the season. On a track as fascinating as it is barren of opportunities to overtake the driver Mercedes he couldn't do much against his rival who, having started on pole, left him no choice but to settle for second place.

“Today I gave it my all. Congratulations to Valtteri, who did an amazing job keeping up with me. It was a great race, every lap I did the best I could, but here it's really difficult to overtake. I want to thank the team, here and at the factory: what they have done for us this year is incredible, it is truly an honor to race for them. I can't wait to get back on track next season."

“I think Valtteri did a great job not only today but all year. Arriving in a new team is not easy: getting used to a new reality and new people is always a challenge and he was exceptional. Today he didn't make a single mistake, except for a lockup in turn 5, but otherwise he was practically perfect. Especially with the pressure he had on himself. For me too, today is a victory as a team: a double for Mercedes and an important victory over Ferrari. I'm excited for next year." 

“In the first two sectors I had a good pace. The car was great today and I felt I potentially had a bit more but then, in the last sector… this is a fantastic circuit but it's not very suited to single-seaters. I don't know if it was an exciting race for the public but it's one of the worst tracks in terms of what we need to be able to race properly."