LEWIS HAMILTON says he beat Sebastian Vettel to the F1 Drivers’ Championship due to his superior mental strength.
Hamilton was crowed Formula One champion for a fourth time at the end of last month, beating fierce rival Vettel to the prize.
It means that, while the Brit bathed in the glory of his success, Vettel’s wait to win the accolade stretches into a fifth year.
And Hamilton says that his mental toughness was the key to beating the Ferrari star to be crowned F1 champion again.
“The mental side of things was the key to this year,” Hamilton told CNN’s The Circuit.
“That really is the case for a lot of top athletes competing.
“It’s the smallest thing, we’re talking about small percentages. I think that’s really, for me, been the biggest difference between us.”
Hamilton and Vettel’s rivalry has long dominated the headlines.
Earlier this year, the German crashed into Hamilton which could have damaged his hopes of winning the championship.
And, speaking recently, the 32-year-old revealed he threatened Vettel after the incident at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
“When I spoke to him later, I was like ‘that’s a sign of disrespect, so don’t ever disrespect me like that again otherwise then we will have problems’,” he said.
“I’ve never done that to someone.
“I don’t even know what he was thinking to have done… I’ve never been in a position like that.
“I guess people react differently under certain pressures.”