YAS MARINA, Abu Dhabi -- Lewis Hamilton says he is racing with "double the power" this weekend as he bids to win the title showdown in Abu Dhabi as a tribute to former McLaren doctor Aki Hintsa.
Hintsa, who played a key part in Hamilton's early career with McLaren, lost a long battle with cancer last week aged just 58. Hamilton, whose best chance of claiming a fourth title this weekend is to win and hope Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg finishes off the podium, flew to Switzerland after the Brazilian Grand Prix to spend time with Hintsa before his death.
Hamilton felt a close bond with the Finnish doctor, who started working for McLaren in the late 1990s and spent 11 years as the team's doctor, one that even continued after he left for Mercedes in 2013.
"The last week was definitely a difficult week," Hamilton said. "It wasn't the best week of sleeping for sure. I'd known Aki since 2004 I think it was, so I'd known Aki quite a long time. I was very close with him and his family and I was very, very fortunate to have been able to be there with him and his family in the last days and actually get to see him on the last day of his...
On the Monday after Brazil I got to see him and spend time with him and we played music, get to see him smile, get to see the amazing man he was and proud to have known someone like that, and have someone like that in my life, who had been hugely... Incredibly helpful in my time."
"He was very instrumental in me getting that seat at McLaren in Formula One, as he had built a very strong relationship with Ron and Ron was kind of of the mindset that if Aki says you are ready then I believe you are ready. Aki would take me through all of these tests and he would look at me deeply in my eyes and he would be like 'yes, you're ready I can tell'."
Hamilton smiled as he recalled memories of Hintsa, saying that he wants to do his friend proud this weekend by rounding off the season with a win.
"I have all these great memories with him. You don't know why all these things are sent... To all these wonderful people as well. You hear about prisoners who have done the worst things, died happily in their sleep and then you hear about someone like Aki, who would go to Ethiopia and help children and has helped so many people and affected everyone that he had met in a positive life to have finished his life so early, it was definitely tough to see.
"But coming here this weekend whilst I have that fighting spirit in my heart from the last races I've done I come here with almost double the power and the sense that I want to win this race more so for him. We were texting every single race through his battle, and particularly at the last race on Sunday. Coming here this weekend, whilst it's an emotional time, I'm here to try and do him proud, do well for him as he helped prepare and drive with the belief that he had in me."
Hamilton is running a tribute message to Hintsa on his helmet in Abu Dhabi this weekend:
For Aki. #GodBless #RIPAki pic.twitter.com/aZQZn9w7S7
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) November 25, 2016