Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he "lost a little bit of faith in the system" after the controversy of the final race of the 2021 season.
The British driver had been on course to win an eighth world title before race director Michael Masi failed to operate the rules correctly during a safety car period in Abu Dhabi.
That subsequently set up Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, on the fresher tyres, to overtake Hamilton on the final lap to win his first Formula 1 crown.
Speculation has persisted that Hamilton may choose to walk away from the sport but at the launch of the new Mercedes car, the 37-year-old suggested that he was motivated to regain his title.
Hamilton said: "There was a moment when I lost a little bit of faith in the system, but I am generally a very determined person, and while moments like this might define careers, I refuse to let this define mine."
He added: "I never said I was going to stop, but it was a difficult time for me and I really needed to step back.
"It was a time where I really needed to step back, focus on being present. I had my family all around me creating great moments. Eventually I got to a point where I decided I was going to be attacking again coming into another season."
The 2022 campaign gets underway in Bahrain on March 20.
Darren Plant
