Hamilton: I’m too competitive to ease off with two races to go

Lewis Hamilton says he won’t relent in fighting for pole positions and wins at the final two rounds of the 2019 Formula 1 season despite already sealing the world title.

The Mercedes driver secured his historic sixth F1 world crown last time out at the United States Grand Prix and with the world constructors’ title also clinched by the German manufacturer only race wins remain left to be claimed in 2019.

But rather than ease off and begin early preparations for 2020, Hamilton is insistent he’ll aim to repeat last year’s feat of taking pole position and wins in both Brazil and Abu Dhabi despite already sealing the F1 world championship.

As a result, Hamilton says he will only look back on his 2019 campaign once the season finishes in December.

“Usually the reflection comes at the end of the year when work finishes and you can just take a load off and just sit back and have a beer,” Hamilton said. “I will be with my dogs, with my feet up and just only then you can have a moment to grasp how great a year it has been.

“In my mind, I’m just too competitive, so I’m thinking okay, we’ve got two more races to go, how am I going to do a better job, how am I going to improve in qualifying. There’s two more qualifying to try and get pole, how am I going to see if I can potentially pull out a lap like I did in Singapore last year.

“How am I going to work it that I can be at the front of both of those. I’m always just looking to improve and I really love being in this sport. I’m so grateful to this sport for giving me a life and giving my life purpose.”

After securing the 2015 F1 world title with three races to spare, Hamilton admitted he eased off before the end of the season having finished runner-up to Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

That run of results duly gave Rosberg momentum heading into 2016 and he went on to secure the F1 world title by beating Hamilton.