British driver Lewis Hamilton has admitted that personal issues distracted him from the aim of a second F1 World Championship in 2010.
Hamilton for the first time admitted, in an interview with BBC's Radio One, problems away from the track played on his concentration since winning his first title in 2008.
The champion did not reveil the exact nature of his worries, but many hint at the split from his father Anthony Hamilton as manager as a turning point.
His troubled relationship with Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Sherzinger was also considered a factor of distraction by many in the past.
"The way things have gone have not been as smooth and as happy as they could have been in the past and to do what I do is a combination of many, many things that are surrounding you,” Hamilton explained.
"It's not just arriving at the race track and driving, it's your [personal and sponsor] appearances, it's your mood swings, it's the people that are around you – your family and your friends – and the time that you are able to give to them and the relationship that you have with them.
"As soon as some of those things are off, and you've not got all those pieces of the puzzle in place, then it makes it very hard to do other aspects of your life as easily."
Hamilton further said he is disappointed with his fourth place in the 2010 championship.
"It's been a long time since I finished out of the top three in a championship, so finishing fourth is not something that I'm not particularly proud of.
"My plan right now is to smooth everything off and make sure that, next year, I am 100 per cent clear in my mind and have no outside intrusions mentally," he concluded.
Hamilton for the first time admitted, in an interview with BBC's Radio One, problems away from the track played on his concentration since winning his first title in 2008.
The champion did not reveil the exact nature of his worries, but many hint at the split from his father Anthony Hamilton as manager as a turning point.
His troubled relationship with Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Sherzinger was also considered a factor of distraction by many in the past.
"The way things have gone have not been as smooth and as happy as they could have been in the past and to do what I do is a combination of many, many things that are surrounding you,” Hamilton explained.
"It's not just arriving at the race track and driving, it's your [personal and sponsor] appearances, it's your mood swings, it's the people that are around you – your family and your friends – and the time that you are able to give to them and the relationship that you have with them.
"As soon as some of those things are off, and you've not got all those pieces of the puzzle in place, then it makes it very hard to do other aspects of your life as easily."
Hamilton further said he is disappointed with his fourth place in the 2010 championship.
"It's been a long time since I finished out of the top three in a championship, so finishing fourth is not something that I'm not particularly proud of.
"My plan right now is to smooth everything off and make sure that, next year, I am 100 per cent clear in my mind and have no outside intrusions mentally," he concluded.