Hamilton: 2020 situation a "real test" mentally
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton says his 2020 Formula 1 season has been a "lonely journey" in his bid to steer clear of any unnecessary COVID-19 risks.
Sergio Perez's absence from the two Silverstone races after testing positive following his trip home to Mexico has served a reminder to all drivers of the potential impact of the virus on their careers.
Hamilton has traditionally mixed his intense focus on race weekends with outside interests such as music, fashion and extensive travel, often heading to the USA in gaps between European races.
However, the busy 2020 schedule, which began with six races in seven weekends, has seen him obliged to live in a "bubble" with limited contact outside his inner circle.
He has spent much of the past two months living in his motorhome at race venues with trainer Angela Cullen.
Hamilton admits that it hasn't been easy to change his usual routine while keeping an intense focus on the title battle.
When asked by Motorsport.com about balancing his title aspirations with avoiding others, Hamilton replied: "I think it's definitely a challenge. Obviously everyone's in the same boat.
"Probably the journey of an F1 driver fighting for a championship, it can often feel like a lonely journey.
"That's magnified this year, obviously with having to limit people who are in your bubble, and of course moving around.
"What I used to do in the past was the travelling, was other things that I was finding positive. But getting to be around friends, getting to find the perfect balance this year, it's much, much harder to implement those other things that help keep a balance.
"I don't know, it's hard to put the words together. But everyone's doing it, I think. It's a real challenge, and a real test mentally for me personally. I don't know how it is for you guys, maybe you're seeing your families and stuff, but I'm not.
"But as you can see, I'm focused and as driven as ever, and it's a marathon, not a sprint.
"So I just keep my head down. I know that I'll get to enjoy myself a little bit more at the end of the year when nothing's particularly at risk, and I can hopefully be with family then."
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff suggested that Hamilton's recent focus on promoting diversity and the Black Lives Matter campaign had provided him with a useful outlet.
"Lewis has always been at his best when he fought adversity," said Wolff. "I think the Black Lives Matter movement is close to his heart, and it certainly helps in terms of motivation.
"What I've always said is I'm impressed how he develops.
"Every season, he's better in terms of his personality and as a driver, and that is really inspiring in a way that as a mid-30-year-old, he is able to show us how you can develop as a personality, and how you can improve your game, how you can have interests outside of motor racing that actually make you stronger."
Related video
Tsunoda will be in AlphaTauri “sooner or later”, says Tost
Hulkenberg: Reserve driver role "makes little sense" to me
The inevitable consequence of the Liberty F1 popularity boom
Sell out crowds at Formula 1 races are the norm rather than the exception these days, as grand prix racing is enjoying a massive boom under Liberty Media. But the Spanish Grand Prix highlighted numerous issues some circuits may face as demand for F1 soars
The danger for Red Bull in its Barcelona F1 team orders choice
OPINION: Red Bull walked into a team orders saga on its way to taking a Spanish Grand Prix 1-2 last weekend, where it took the lead of the 2022 Formula 1 world championships for the first time. But its decisions have added an element of risk to later races.
Why Mercedes' Spanish GP gains aren't as grand as they seemed
Mercedes' strong showing in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix prompted team boss Toto Wolff to say it had halved its deficit to the leaders and its Formula 1 title chances were back on after a rocky start to the 2022 campaign. But a closer inspection of the team's performance suggests its gains aren't as grand as they first appeared
What's next for the Green Red Bull controversy?
From the 'pink Mercedes' to the 'Green Red Bull', the Silverstone-based team has received suspicious glares from up and down the Formula 1 paddock over its car design exploits. But after being cleared by the FIA over its Spanish Grand Prix updates amid a backdrop of cries of foul play, what's next in this saga?
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
In an unusually hectic Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was denied a dominant performance by his Ferrari engine letting go which allowed Max Verstappen to pick up the pieces. But numerous flashpoints kept the race twisting and turning throughout, with one perfect score from an emerging contender
How Verstappen overcame his and Red Bull’s errors to win in Spain
Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari engine disaster offered an open goal for Max Verstappen and Red Bull to strike, but the reigning Formula 1 world champion still had to solve multiple errors and profit from a begrudged assist from team-mate Sergio Perez, which created an unexpectedly eventful Spanish Grand Prix
Why Red Bull can win a Spanish GP that looked perfect for Ferrari
Formula 1's return to Spain on Friday ended with Ferrari leading the way from Mercedes, while Red Bull could only manage third fastest overall courtesy of Max Verstappen. But its chances of victory are far from remote with a deeper dig into the times despite Ferrari's strong start...
The key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
The VW Group’s German superpowers of sportscar racing have all but confirmed they are coming to F1 when the next set of engine rules come into force in 2026. Here's why both manufacturers are all set to take the plunge, and crucially how it might work