Hamilton wanted to be ‘pitch-perfect’ in Abu Dhabi domination

Lewis Hamilton did not let his focus waver from delivering a “pitch-perfect” display despite such a big lead at the front of the pack in Abu Dhabi en route to his 11th win of the 2019 season.

Hamilton closed out his championship year by leading the field home, completing a Grand Slam in the process with pole position, the fastest lap, the race win and leading every single lap.

Hamilton never looked like losing the race at the Yas Marina Circuit, but said his focus remained strong on performing as well as he could.

“I don’t think I was thinking of anything else except being pitch-perfect through the race. When you’re out in front like that, it’s easy to drop the ball,” Hamilton said.

“I think of people who have been there before me, I think of things I have done in the past, I was just trying to be pitch-perfect, each corner, beat, rhythm, rhythm, rhythm, and not let it stop.

“I was looking for that perfect execution, and I think I got as close to it as I could today. Really, really happy. But now I can lean back a little bit and start thinking about the future.”

Hamilton said he spent the race exploring areas where he could improve his performance.

“I think today’s race was a really great race for me, just very consistent, no mistakes, and the team did a great job as well,” Hamilton said.

“I would say today I was just trying to advance in a lot of areas, like tyre management, see if I can do that any better, extract any more from the car, make it go longer, and different things, and it worked.

“We’re continuing to work hard, even after we’ve won the championship. It’s inspiring for me to see the guys continue to push.”

Additional reporting by Julianne Cerasoli.