Two days after losing the title to teammate Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton was back behind the wheel of a Formula One car testing 2017 tyres for Pirelli.
As Rosberg jetted off to a sponsor appearance in Malaysia following Sunday's after party, Hamilton remained in Abu Dhabi to take part in the final validation test of Pirelli's 2017 tyres. However, after completing a number of early runs in the morning the 2016 runner-up felt unwell and handed driving duties over to 2016 Manor race driver Pascal Wehrlein, who is also contracted to Mercedes and was on standby.
The one-day test saw Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes take to the track together using mule cars based on their 2015 challengers. Daniel Ricciardo was on track for Red Bull and Kimi Raikkonen for Ferrari.
It is the first time Hamilton has driven on Pirelli's new wider rubber after he pulled out of test at Barcelona earlier this year due to a sore foot. Both Rosberg and Wehrlein changed their plans to step in at that test while Hamilton rested his injury ahead of the U.S. Grand Prix.
Hamilton still has the threat of disciplinary action hanging over him after team boss Toto Wolff said on Sunday that he had not made up his mind how to react to his driver's controversial race tactics in Abu Dhabi.