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Lewis Hamilton has called on his Mercedes troops to dig deeper than ever before and keep alive his dream of winning a record-breaking eighth world crown.

Hamilton slipped from 12 to 19 points behind Max Verstappen following the Red Bull driver's comprehensive victory in Mexico on Sunday.

With just four rounds left and 107 points available, time is running out for Hamilton to prevent Verstappen from clinching a maiden title.

However, Hamilton, who finished 16.5 seconds behind his Red Bull rival, despite his setback in Mexico City, said: "I left it all out there and sometimes that is not enough.

"We pick ourselves up, dig deeper than we have before and keep on fighting."

Max Verstappen led from start to finish as the Dutchman ended his 2020 campaign on a high, with Formula 1 bringing down the curtain on the season in Abu Dhabi.

Lewis Hamilton returned for Mercedes having missed the Sakhir Grand Prix through Covid-19, but could only finish third behind teammate Valtteri Bottas who was unable to apply any real pressure on Verstappen.

After his sensational performance at the Sakhir Grand Prix as Hamilton’s stand-in for Mercedes, George Russell returned to his usual Williams seat and could only muster a 15th place finish, bringing the 22-year-old back down to earth.

Lewis Hamilton stunned Formula One on Sunday when, hours after winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, he admitted that he did not know if he would still be in the sport next season.

Speaking during a post-race news conference, the six-time world champion told reporters there was "no guarantee" that he would continue and added that "there's a lot that excites me with the after-life – time will tell!"

Hamilton's victory, a record-extending 93rd of his career, in Sunday's race clinched Mercedes' record seventh consecutive constructors title – an achievement he attributed to the team's "unsung heroes" and the leadership of team boss Toto Wolff.

Lewis Hamilton said he was in dreamland on Sunday after powering to victory in the Portuguese Grand Prix to become Formula One's record all-time race winner.

His 92nd win lifted him one clear of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher's 16-year-old record of 91 wins and opened up a 77-point lead ahead of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who finished second, in the title race.

With five races remaining in the coronavirus-affected season, Hamilton is within reach of a record-equalling seventh championship and a record-increasing 100th pole position.

Formula One legend Michael Schumacher is thought to be in a vegetative state with little chance of ever fully recovering, according to leading neurosurgeon Erich Riederer. Michael Schumacher is thought to be in a vegetative state with little chance of ever fully recovering, according to leading neurosurgeon Erich Riederer.

The seven-time F1 World Champion had been on holiday in the French Alps in 2013 when he was in a devastating skiing accident that left him with severe brain injuries. Almost seven years later, he has not been seen in public since the accident with few details released about his current state.