After the heartbreak and injustice of Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton surrounded himself with his nearest and dearest and wondered whether he could go through it all again.
In the most controversial fashion, he had been robbed of a record-breaking eighth Formula One world title and final confirmation of his status as the Greatest Of All Time had been cruelly denied.
During his two months away from the spotlight, Hamilton turned 37 and had to decide if he still had the desire and the motivation to fight one more time.