F1: COVID-19 survivor Hamilton finishes third in Abu Dhabi, ‘grateful to be alive’

FORMULA One world champion Lewis Hamilton finished third at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday to round off a record-breaking season.

The British driver, who won his seventh world championship this year to tie with the legendary Michael Schumacher, was back in action on Sunday after missing the Sakhir Grand Prix because he contracted COVID-19.

Hamilton, 35, appeared to still be feeling the effects of the virus and managed to claim a place on the podium behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas.

“You can’t win them all,” Hamilton said after the race.

“Considering the past couple weeks I have had I am really genuinely happy with the weekend.

“It was a really hard race for me physically. All year physically I have been fine but today I definitely wasn’t. I am just glad it is over.

“Physically, massively. I don’t think I have ever been so blown. But, look on the bright side, I made it through and I didn’t think last week I would be here.

“I didn’t think any time last week that I would be here, so, I am just truly grateful for my health and to be alive and, yeah, looking forward to recovering over the next period of time we have and being back into training and getting my body back to where I know it should be.

“I hope and pray in 2021 the cars are better to follow. I don’t know if it was a boring race to watch but once you get within two seconds you are sliding around and in turbulence the whole time.”

Hamilton, who drives for the championship-winning Mercedes team, became the driver with the most Grand Prix wins ever when he reached 91 victories this year, surpassing Schumacher’s haul.