Hamilton looks back on 'tough year': 'Incredibly grateful'

Lewis Hamilton is leaving the 2022 calendar year feeling proud. Although he failed to fight for the world title this season, at Mercedes he saw a team around him that kept working hard until the end. In conversation with Mercedes' official website he therefore expresses his gratitude.

The Briton has had a long career in Formula 1. Despite his seven world titles, he also experienced difficult years, but he did not yet experience a season like 2022. Partly due to problems with porpoising, Mercedes lagged behind Ferrari and Red Bull Racing for a long time.

"It's been a very hard year for everyone," Hamilton stated. "For me, it's been challenging in ways that I wasn't expecting, but I am incredibly grateful for that. I have felt more growth this year as a man, in terms of internal strength, than I have in many other years."

Hamilton looked with admiration at the strength of Mercedes' team. Where the formation started the season awkwardly, it managed to fight its way back in the second half of the season. However, the experienced driver knows that Mercedes faced hotter fires in the early years.

"In terms of the last 10 years, this has been the toughest year for everyone along with the most strengthening," Hamilton analysed the situation. "There has been so much resistance, so much we have been up against, and I am thankful that we have." The driver is confident that Mercedes will be able to continue the positive line in 2023.