Lewis Hamilton is coming off a crushing defeat for a record eighth Formula One championship and on the verge of the first winless season of his 16-year career.
His Mercedes has been a beast to drive all season and a flaw in its design created a bouncing effect that causes his teeth to chatter and his back to ache. New teammate George Russell outranks him in the season standings — Russell is fourth, Hamilton is sixth — and a 24-race schedule is looming for next season, when Hamilton will be 38 years old.
