F1 News
Hamilton explains 'mind battle' after being plagued by win drought
After the heartbreak in the 2021 World Championship title decider in Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton had to endure nearly 1,000 days without a victory in Formula 1. To potentially make matters worse, his Mercedes team were miles off the pace and the two wins for the German team in the meantime went to his younger teammate George Russell. Hamilton admits he went through a 'mind battle' after now achieving wins again.
Hamilton's concluding words in the paddock following the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix spoke volumes. He and Russell scored enough points in the race to secure P2 for Mercedes in the World Championship. The seven-time World Champion didn't have the best of races and finished ninth, but it ensured his record of scoring points at every Grand Prix weekend in 2023 remained in place. Despite this, Hamilton was downbeat and frankly running on empty. He was asked what the best thing was in 2023: "the fact I survived it". The dip he had is now clear to see.
Hamilton has returned to winning ways. He won the British Grand Prix in front of his own fans. In Belgium, he benefitted from Russell's disqualification but had to be there to earn it. In fact, he drove a near-faultless race himself that weekend.
Mind battle for Hamilton
"It had been such a long time. So many thoughts cross your mind. Some of them you start to potentially believe in, bit by bit. It’s been mostly a battle of the mind. Keeping yourself sane, trying to pick up new tools. Ultimately, it always comes back to persistence and dedication. Hard work. It always does eventually pay off," Hamilton said in an interview with Esquire.
"I had that day when I was able to excel, and we excelled as a team, and it just kind of shuts that all down. And it helps you rebuild again. So it was really great to be able to do it at home, in my home country, with my family around. The last race in Mercedes at Silverstone. It couldn’t have been more magical," Hamilton added.
Hamilton went on to claim that the painful times endured have helped him become better. He even suggested he is a better teammate as a result of the dip because he had more time to focus on communication.