Hamilton ready to unplug: ‘My phone’s going in the bin’

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Lewis Hamilton has had enough. After a bruising, joyless first season in Ferrari red, the seven-time world champion is gearing up for the winter break with a plan that has nothing to do with simulator sessions, debriefs or deep dives with his engineers. His grand scheme? Vanishing.

The Briton’s debut with the Scuderia was supposed to be a revival. Instead, it became a grind. Ferrari delivered heartbreak instead of success, leaving Hamilton fighting through the toughest campaign of his 18-year Formula 1 career.

The promise that lured him from Mercedes never materialised, and by last weekend’s finale in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton looked like a driver running on fumes.

Now he wants a reset. Not a symbolic one, but a full-throttle unplugging from the world. For a man who built an empire on connectivity and global influence, Hamilton’s next move might be the most dramatic of his year: going dark.

Unplugging From the Matrix

“At the moment, I'm only looking forward to the break. Just disconnecting, not speaking to anyone,” Hamilton said after fighting back from 16th on the grid to eighth in Sunday’s race.

“No one's going to be able to get a hold of me this winter. I won't have my phone with me. I'm looking forward to that. Just completely unplugged from the matrix.”

Asked if he has ever gone mobile-free before, Hamilton replied: “No, I've generally always had it around. But this time, it's going in the freaking bin.”

The urge to vanish isn’t surprising after a season where nothing came easy.

Hamilton failed to score a single Grand Prix podium for the first time in his career, endured three consecutive Q1 exits, and finished sixth in the championship while teammate Charles Leclerc consistently outpaced him.

Saved by His People

But even in the gloom, something kept him moving: the people who refused to let him sink.

“I’ve had an amazing support from so many people that travel around the world, supporting me or sending me messages, so my fans have been the thing that have kept me going, really have been the rock,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1.

“My mum has really been phenomenal, supportive, my dad and my family as well. I would say just luckily I’ve got those good people around me and then, as I said, each weekend I see young kids and adults rooting me on and reminding me why I do what I do and not to give up.”

For the first time in nearly two decades, Hamilton isn’t thinking about next season. He’s thinking about escape – the kind you can’t find on a race track.

When he comes back, Ferrari will hope the reset delivers the leader they signed for.

But first, Hamilton’s disappearing. Into silence, solitude, and a blissfully unreachable winter.

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Michael Delaney