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“But on the other side, Lewis has a global perspective of what is going on out there and he always recognised that.

“We have always been quite aligned on what the other side would expect. For me, he’s the best driver.

“He has a huge global following, much beyond the racing fan and he has won seven championships without making major mistakes in the last few years. Like many in the team and the wider organisation, he’s an important pillar of the success.

“On the other side, Lewis recognises that he’s one of 2000 that we have within our team and that it’s not two superstars, but we are 2000 superstars. And each of us contributes to the team’s success.

“Because he has this helicopter perspective from the wider world out there, it was a very tough year for us personally, from a health standpoint, and also from an economical standpoint, so he knew that even though he has delivered on his side, there is a economical reality out there that is important to respect.”