Lewis Hamilton admitted he feared he might never win again and suffered mental health issues as he went more than two years without a Formula One victory, ending a British Grand Prix drought.
Hamilton won a gripping race at Silverstone for his first win since Saudi Arabia in 2021, two years in which his Mercedes team has struggled to challenge. Hamilton, 39, shed tears after crossing the finish line.
The seven-time world champion revealed afterwards that it was a very difficult time. “As a team, we’ve gone through adversity, and I personally feel like I’ve gone through these challenges, constant challenges, like we have to get out of bed every day and do our best, where a lot of times you feel like you’re taking your best shot. It’s not good enough,” he said.
“A lot of times you feel like your best shot isn’t good enough and sometimes you feel disappointed. We live in a time where mental health issues are so big and I’m not going to lie, I’ve been through that. There’s definitely been moments like that. , I think that’s it, this will never happen again.
The end of the win drought was won with pace and strategy at Silverstone and Mercedes rightly celebrated it, with Hamilton admitting he had never cried at a finish before.
“Honestly, I’ve never cried because of a victory, having this feeling of crossing the finish line,” he said. “It just came out of me. It felt really, really good. I’m very, very grateful for it.
After his last win of 2021, he suffered a controversial decision at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that cost him an eighth title, with the FIA admitting it was human error on the part of race director Michael Massi , recovering from that blow also played a role.
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“Honestly, when I came back in 2022, I thought I was done, but I know I’m not,” he said. “It definitely takes a long time to heal from this feeling. It’s natural for anyone who has had this experience. I’ve continued to work on myself and find inner peace day by day.
