Hamilton believes he's a 'small link of a chain', not a leader

Lewis Hamilton, a four-time Formula One world champion, and often considered the best driver of his generation, believes that he is just a "small link in a long chain" rather than a leader of the Mercedes team.

"I don't look at myself as the leader of the team - I believe I am a small link in a long chain," Sport24 quoted Hamilton, as saying.

He added that everybody in the team was a key link and tried to make the link as strong as possible.

The Briton joined the Mercedes team in 2013 to partner Nico Rosberg.

In 2017, Hamilton got a new teammate in Valterri Bottas as he was announced as Rosberg's replacement.

Hamilton, however, spent some tense seasons with a split with his former racing mate Rosberg but his relationship with the team got back on track after a successful meeting with the Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff.

The 32-year-old said, "That meeting was really important to reset things, so when I arrive and the guys know I'm going to be giving it everything, they work that extra bit harder, and vice versa."

"If there's any negativity or question, it can only hold us back, so it was almost a purification of the relationship, and a re-start of the solid foundation we had already built years ago," he added.

Hamilton became a four-time world champion following a ninth-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix, the race which was eventually won by the Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The Mercedes driver, however, failed to continue the momentum after clinching the title and finished at the fourth and second spot respectively in the final two races of his spectacular 2017 season.