F1 champion tells Instagram followers he's "still right here fighting"
Friday 18 October 2019 15:16, UK
Lewis Hamilton has assured fans he has not "given up" after posting cryptic messages on social media earlier this week.
In Instagram Story posts on Tuesday which were subsequently deleted, Hamilton expressed his concerns about the environment and urged people to go vegan.
The F1 world champion also posted that "I feel like giving up on everything" as "why bother when world is such a mess".
Hamilton on Mercedes' title victory
But on Friday, the Mercedes driver took to Instagram again to tell his 13m followers:
"Good morning World. I just wanted to send a message of positivity to you, I hope your weeks [sic] been amazing and wishing you a great weekend.
"I appreciate all the positive vibes you've sent my way. I haven't given up, I'm still right here fighting! #stillirise."
Hamilton's next sporting challenge is a significant one - trying to close out the Drivers' Championship for 2019.
The Englishman could secure a sixth world title as early as next Sunday's Mexican GP, but to do so he must outscore Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas by 14 points in the October 27 race.
However, Hamilton has only outscored the Finn by that margin on one occasion so far this year (Hungary).
Mercedes are also unlikely to be favourites for victory at Mexico City's Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where Red Bull have triumphed in the last two years and Ferrari are expected to be strong in 2019 owing to the circuit's straights.
The following race takes place a week later in the USA, where Hamilton has already won a record six times in his career.
