Lewis Hamilton has said it has taken “a long time to heal” from the impact of the controversial conclusion to the 2021 Formula One season as he spoke of the mental health struggles he endured during the 30 winless months that followed his British Grand Prix triumph.
Hamilton enjoyed what he described as his “most emotional end to a victory” ever in F1 on Sunday after taking the chequered flag for a record ninth time at Silverstone, with the seven-time champion breaking down in tears on his slowing lap back to the pit lane.
The victory ended a 56-race win drought – the 39-year-old’s longest run without a win in F1 was 10 races – since the penultimate round of the 2021 season in Saudi Arabia amid the tense title duel between Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
At the next round, which marked the end of the season and the title, in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton was leading and on course to claim a record eighth world crown, before Verstappen overtook him on the final lap after then-race director Michael Masi mishandled the safety car restart procedure in a controversial shutdown that the FIA later blamed on “human error”.
Hamilton said Sky Sports F1 After the race, he had questioned whether he wanted to continue in the sport in the moments that followed, amid his and Mercedes’ fall from the top and said, speaking at the subsequent press conference at Silverstone, that he had said in direct reference to Abu Dhabi 2021: “Honestly, when I came back in 2022, I thought I was done with it.
“And I know I wasn’t and it took me a long time to heal from that kind of feeling. And that’s completely natural for anyone who’s had that experience.
“And I kept trying to work on myself and find that inner peace day by day.”
Hamilton opens up about his mental health struggles and self-doubt
After suffering the pain of failing to become F1’s only eight-time champion after the most intense title fight the sport had seen in years, Hamilton returned for the following season after a winter in which he had pondered his future in the sport only to suddenly find himself and Mercedes in contention for wins and more titles after the team was caught off guard at the start of the sport’s new era of ground-effect regulations.
That struggle to break through has continued this season, with Mercedes only recently finding what Hamilton called a “north star” in its car development and returning to the front of the pack. Hamilton’s triumph at Silverstone is his second in as many weeks after team-mate George Russell won in Austria after a season-ending collision between Verstappen and Lando Norris.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Lewis Hamilton says his incredible ninth British GP win was the most emotional he’s ever experienced and reveals there were times he thought about retiring but is glad he didn’t
Reflecting on the two-and-a-half-year road to the top step of the podium, Hamilton spoke about the difficult time he has endured since Abu Dhabi and why he was moved to tears by his 104th victory.
“I think with the kind of adversity that we’ve been through as a team and that I’ve personally felt, that I’ve experienced, those challenges, the constant challenge like we all have to get out of bed every day and perform at our best,” he said.
“And you know, there are so many times when you feel like your best shot is just not good enough. And the disappointment that you can feel sometimes, you know, and we live in a time where mental health is such a big issue. And I’m not going to lie, I’ve been there.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Lewis Hamilton wins British GP, gets emotional on team radio afterwards
“There were times when I thought it was over, it was never going to happen again. So to feel that feeling at the end of the line, I think, honestly, I’ve never cried after a win. It just came out of me. It’s a really, really great feeling. I’m very, very grateful for it.”
Wolff: “Victory takes a weight off Hamilton’s shoulders”
Hamilton’s Mercedes boss Toto Wolff – who has spoken openly about his own mental health issues – believes the 39-year-old’s return to the winner’s circle will be a big boost.
“It’s clear that our relationship goes back a long way and each of us has suffered at different times,” said Wolff, who worked with Hamilton throughout his 11-year career at Mercedes.
“He has been there for me and more recently I have tried to contribute to his doubts at certain times.
“It’s a really good feeling that he was able to put all the negativity aside and put in this performance.
“I think it’s a weight off his shoulders.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Lewis Hamilton celebrates his ninth victory at Silverstone with his Mercedes team and the Silverstone crowd!
Hamilton’s record ninth British GP win achieved several statistical milestones and it was also a particularly emotional victory for both driver and team given it was the last time he would race on home soil for the Brackley-based team before his winter move to Ferrari.
Hamilton has won eighth of his nine races with Mercedes since joining from McLaren in 2013.
“It’s been so difficult over the last two years that we haven’t really been able to find the performance and we haven’t been able to give the drivers a car that allows them to aim for victory,” added Wolff.
“And to have him win again at the British Grand Prix in his last race for Mercedes here is almost like a little fairy tale.
“We couldn’t have written the script better.”
The next stop for F1 is the Hungarian Grand Prix which will take place in Budapest from July 19 to 21. You can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports monthly subscription – No contract, cancel anytime
