Lewis Hamilton has said that he hopes he can have a better 2012 at the launch of McLaren's MP4-27 at the Technology Centre in Woking.
Hamilton, 27, finished 5th in the 2011 championship after a difficult season.
"I was over in the cold mountains in Colorado, spending time with family and friends. I did lots of training, I didn't miss much, and I was not missing the car too much."
"It was nice to be away from it for a while, just to get the energy back, refresh. Starting anew and getting back into training was fantastic.
"Last year I was training too much and this year I balanced it a bit better. Spending time with family and friends is how you get your energy. I was grateful for Martin for allowing me to have such a good break."
After Caterham's CT01 received negative publicity in terms of aesthetics, Hamilton was pleased with the look of the MP4-27
"I think it is fantastic. Seeing the hard work going into building this car is inspiring."
"It is the most refined looking car we have had for some time so we are looking forward to getting back in it."
2012 will be Hamilton's sixth season in the sport and he admitted he was 'surprised' at how quickly the time has passed.
