Lewis Hamilton has spoken candidly about the mental anguish he has experienced as he tries to “recover” from his controversial loss of the 2021 Formula 1 title.
The seven-time world champion driver claimed his first F1 win in almost three years at the British Grand Prix on Sunday, his first since missing out on a record eighth world title to Max Verstappen in the final race of the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi.
Mercedes have struggled to be competitive since the new rules were introduced for 2022 and while team-mate George Russell has managed two wins in that time, Hamilton had failed to add to his record of 103 wins until his emotional victory in an epic wet-dry home race at Silverstone.
Asked if his record-extending ninth British Grand Prix win was the final piece of the puzzle to move him away from the controversy that has enveloped his 2021 season, Hamilton told media including Crash.net: “I guess time will tell. All I can say is I’m not giving up.”
“I feel like I’m making the right decisions in terms of my life, how I’m preparing, how I’m managing my time, like the decisions I’m making for next year, my commitment to this team, my love for this team and my love for my job.
“I truly, truly love my job – there’s absolutely nothing that can compare to it – and I’m incredibly grateful to be among the 20 drivers in this great sport at such a crucial time.”
“Honestly, I thought I’d be over it when I returned in 2022, but I know that I wasn’t. It definitely took a long time to heal from those kinds of emotions, which is natural for someone who’s been through something like that. I just continue to work on myself and try to find inner peace every day.”
Race winner Lewis Hamilton’s (GBR) Mercedes-AMG F1 W15 celebrates after the race…
Hamilton revealed he hit some mental lows during the 945-day journey back to winning ways.
“It’s a different feeling to previous races, especially race after race and a season with multiple wins,” Hamilton explained.
“When I think about the adversity we’ve overcome as a team and the difficulties I’ve personally experienced – the constant challenge of having to get out of bed every day and give it my all.
“There are many times when you feel like your best isn’t enough and you feel disappointed at times. We live in a time where mental health is a huge issue and I can honestly say I’ve experienced that myself.
“There were definitely moments where I thought this was the end, this is never going to happen again. So, just having this feeling crossing the finish line, I don’t think I’ve ever cried over a win, honestly. But the tears just started flowing. It’s a really, really amazing feeling. I’m so, so grateful.”
