Overview
- Hamilton said no one will be able to reach him over the break as he plans to "throw [his] phone in the fricking bin."
- He climbed from 16th on the grid to finish eighth in Abu Dhabi after catching Esteban Ocon and then being held up by a Haas.
- The Abu Dhabi result secured sixth in the final standings, helped by Andrea Kimi Antonelli failing to score.
- He recorded no grand prix podiums for the first time in his career, with a lone sprint win in China and several fourth-place finishes.
- He criticized the ground-effect cars, saying there is nothing he will miss about them, and voiced weariness with weekly photoshoots and other non-driving obligations.