Lewis Hamilton believes that his low-key conclusion to his championship winning 2015 season will only serve to boost his determination when he gets back to business in early 2016.
Hamilton was dominated by his flawless Mercedes rival as Nico Rosberg took command of the German team to end the year with three victories in succession.
Speaking at the manufacturer's annual Mercedes Stars and Cars event in Stuttgart, the three-time World Champion said he was unconcerned by his late season slump, viewed in his opinion as an opportunity to boost his prospects.
"I actually look at the last three races as a blessing in disguise," Hamilton said.
"It's kind of - if I'd have won the last three races, that would've been quite a lot of races won in the season. And perhaps I would have gone into next season with less of a buzz.
"But I actually have great determination, a great drive right now and I think that's come from having those results. In that sense, it's been a good thing."
Hamilton believes a combination of factors probably contributed to his end-of-season relative weakness.
"I'm sure it's a combination of things. Firstly, I don't ever take away from the fact that Nico did an exceptional job in those last few races - even actually from Singapore he did an exceptional job in qualifying.
"I think the change in the car seemed to suit him very well. And, you know, when the championship was done, I didn't let off - but I was subconsciously more relaxed, perhaps."
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