Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes Lewis Hamilton’s absence from the public eye in recent weeks is because the champion driver still can’t comprehend what happened in Abu Dhabi.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Formula One World Title in most dramatic circumstances earlier in December, Hamilton finishing second.
Australian race director Michael Masi waived the usual safety car procedure in the final laps, a decision that paved the way for Verstappen to overtake Hamilton.
Since then, Hamilton has only been seen receiving his Knighthood at Windsor Castle and at Mercedes’ end-of-year function.
He has also been silent on social media, unfollowing everyone on Instagram earlier this week.
Wolff believes his driver is still heartbroken from the loss.
“We are all wavering in emotions and Lewis most of all,” Wolff told German website Motorsport-total.
“He was winning the World Championship until the last lap, and then everything is taken away from you in an instant.
“Of course, you lose faith because you can’t understand what has just happened. The silence is there, of course, because he simply lacks words as well.”
It is speculated the 36-year-old may now retire from the sport, in which he has won seven world championships over a decade and a half.
Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone recently said he didn’t think Hamilton would return to driving after the harowing loss.
Hamilton and Wolff explored the option of challenging the result of the World Championship for days, and despite suggesting they had the legal grounds to do so and win, Mercedes ultimately credited Verstappen with the win in the week after the race.