Lewis Hamilton conquers his fears of never winning again, celebrating a triumphant return to F1 glory after a period of doubt.
At last! Nearly three years since his last Formula 1 victory at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has triumphed again on home soil this weekend at Silverstone, and in spectacular fashion.
The seven-time world champion makes no secret of it: amidst this prolonged drought for a driver of his caliber, he had begun to wonder if he would ever again experience the sweet euphoria of victory.
“Absolutely. It’s different from previous races, and particularly from seasons where we kept winning. Especially after what we’ve been through as a team and all that I’ve personally felt, the constant challenge of getting out of bed each day and giving it your best. And, you know, there are so many times when you feel like your best isn’t good enough. We live in a time when mental health is a serious issue. And I won’t lie, I’ve experienced it. And there were moments when I thought it was over, that it wouldn’t happen again. I think, honestly, I’ve never cried after a win. It just came out. And it’s a very, very nice feeling. I’m very, very grateful.”
The Mercedes F1 driver’s emotions grew even stronger when his parents embraced him before the podium ceremony.
“Yes, it’s true, you know, my parents have come to a race here and there. My mother was there when we won a championship. My father was there when we won a championship. It was always at a different time in life. The first world championship, you know, was incredible, but it was really hard to absorb it all at the age I was. I think this weekend, I think in life, you know, your parents get older, you know, we travel so much. Spending time with family is a constant challenge. My niece and nephew are growing up and getting cuter by the day. But I had them here this weekend, and I think they’ve all… We all try to be there for one another, even from afar. But having them here and… I mean, I know I’ve always had their support, but being able to see them there and share this experience, they wanted to be at my last race, at the last British Grand Prix with this team that has been so incredible for us. Mercedes has been supporting me since I was 13. So that’s definitely what matters most today, to see them there and to be able to share this experience with them.”
Following this splendid success, the 104th of his career, has Lewis Hamilton definitively closed the painful chapter of the last two years, and regained the confidence necessary to win regularly again?
“I think only time will tell. What I can say is that I’m not giving up. I feel like I’m making the right decisions in my life, in the way I prepare and manage my time, the decision I’ve made, for example, for next year, the commitment I still have to this team, and the love I still hold for this team and my job. I really, truly love this job. And there will never be anything quite like it. And for that, I am incredibly grateful to be among these 20 drivers in this great sport during such a pivotal time. The movie trailer just launched today. I hope… Honestly, when I returned in 2022, I thought I had turned the page. I realized that wasn’t the case and it took me a long time to heal from that kind of feeling. And that’s perfectly natural for anyone who has had that experience. I’ve continued to try to work on myself and find inner peace day after day.”
This victory may be “perhaps the most special” of his career
With so many successes in his career, the British driver must now find it difficult to single out the ones that have left the most mark, but one can imagine that this Sunday’s victory will hold a special place in his heart.
“Well, you know, I have a very bad memory, but honestly, I am very attached to living in the present, and I feel… I don’t feel like I can compare this one to any other for me. I’ve had so many great moments and moments when I didn’t think I could win, like my first victory at the Grand Prix here in 2008. I had qualified very poorly, fourth, but I felt like I had no chance to win a Grand Prix, and then it rained, and obviously, I got that great feeling. There have been so many highlights. It’s the longest period I’ve not won, 945 days. And the emotion that has built up during all this time. So, I think this race could be one of the most special for me, if not the most special.”
70 years ago, in July 1954, Mercedes won its first Formula 1 victory at the French Grand Prix thanks to Juan Manuel Fangio. Hamilton will, of course, leave the star-emblazoned firm at the end of the year to join Ferrari, but he will obviously continue to be considered one of the great drivers who have contributed to the German brand’s prestige.
“Well, 1954, I mean, what a car? It was the W197, maybe? (It was actually the W196s) I don’t remember exactly which car it was. But yes, the legacy of Mercedes is legendary. And I’m very lucky to have been part of Mercedes for the past 18 years. Actually, it’s more than that, over 20 years, because they started supporting me when I was 13. It’s clear that all the Grand Prix victories I’ve achieved have been with Mercedes, powered by Mercedes, and that’s something I will always be grateful to have been a part of.”
Mercedes F1 confirms weekend after weekend that it is back at the forefront and has, for the time being at least, outpaced Ferrari in terms of performance. Does this make Hamilton regret signing with Scuderia for 2025?
“No. I think when we started the season and we had a car that wasn’t close to Red Bull, for example, and we didn’t feel like we could win a race all year, I felt that the end of the season would be somewhat bittersweet, when you haven’t had something like this weekend. And the fact that we all came together, that everyone did a great job to get the car into a position where we feel much more comfortable and where we are really changing from last year’s base. So, we are not ending on a sour note, but on a high note, which was our goal. There is still a long, very long way to go, but the car, by no means, is the fastest on the grid right now. I think we are very close, and I think with the next upgrade maybe, we will be in an even stronger position to really, really fight at the front more regularly.”
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