Portugal Colonial - Struggling Hamilton aims to rediscover the joy

The Briton's seismic move from Mercedes to the famous red car this season has not gone as hoped, far behind the pace-setters in sixth place and without a podium finish.

The 40-year-old cut a downbeat figure after the previous race in Hungary, saying he was "completely useless" and should be replaced at Ferrari.

But a "much-needed" break before Sunday's race at Zandvoort seemed to have pepped him up, saying he was "determined" and "motivated" to turn the corner.

"There's been so much pressure in this first half of the season, it's not been the most enjoyable," Hamilton told reporters.

"So I think just remembering that we love what we do, we're all in this together and we're trying to have some fun," he added.

Hamilton has struggled to adapt to the new team after 12 years at Mercedes but insisted there was "lots of potential" and "lots of positives" to take from a tricky start.

Integrating into the "biggest brand in our sport" has not been easy, even for someone of Hamilton's experience and calibre, he admitted.

"There can often be so much noise, you can lose sight of what's really, really important," which is the fun element of the sport, said Hamilton.

"That's the reason I got into this sport. It was fun for me.

"And I think for anyone in whatever career you're in, if you're not enjoying what you're doing, then why are you doing it?" he said.

A.Silveira--PC