This archive report was first published on 10 May 2020.
Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton has spoken about his decision to take a break from the sport, describing it as a 'part-sabbatical' that has left him feeling 'fresher and healthier than ever.'
With the 2020 Grand Prix season delayed until July due to the coronavirus pandemic, Hamilton has been making the most of the downtime ahead of his bid for a record-equalling seventh world title.
“There have been times in the past five years that I thought a rest would be good for body and mind,” he said in a video released by his Mercedes team on Saturday.
Hamilton, 35, has not been among the drivers taking part in online racing, but has played Call of Duty online with fellow F1 drivers Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc.
The 2020 season is now set to start in July with the Austrian Grand Prix, the first of several races scheduled to take place behind closed doors as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19.
Hamilton expressed his disappointment at the prospect of racing without spectators, saying it 'gave me a really empty feeling because the fans make the race.'
However, he acknowledged that any racing would be a welcome boost for Grand Prix enthusiasts during the pandemic.
“I don’t know how exciting it’s going to be for people watching it on TV but it’ll be better than nothing,” he said.
