Even Mercedes is confused about Lewis Hamilton's latest social media posts.

Although it was later deleted, the Mercedes driver declared on Instagram that he feels "like giving up on everything".

"Why bother when the world is such a mess and people don't seem to care. I'm going to take a moment away to gather my thoughts," Hamilton said.

He also talked about the environment and the impending "extinction of our race", and said becoming a vegan is "the only way to truly save our planet".

The posts caused some of the championship leader's fans to fear about his wellbeing.

Germany's SID news agency asked a Mercedes spokesman to confirm whether the posts were authentic.

"I think he was referring to environmental issues and not anything related to racing," the spokesman said. "However, I'm not sure."