Sir Lewis Hamilton has been quite familiar with winning ever since he made his F1 debut back in 2007. He holds the best rookie performance in the sport’s history. Moreover, since his debut, he took the shortest time to win the maiden title for any Formula 1 driver. In his sophomore season, the great British racer won his maiden championship with McLaren. Since his debut, he stayed with McLaren until, in 2013, he decided to switch to another team. What a great decision that was, as Hamilton’s collaboration with Mercedes broke several records in Formula 1 during the turbo hybrid era. Adding to his maiden title with McLaren, Hamilton won six more Driver’s Championships with the Silver Arrows.
As a result, the great Briton equaled the German great Michael Schumacher’s seven world championships. Moreover, he helped Mercedes win every constructor title in the turbo hybrid era. Well, Hamilton was not alone, as his teammates, Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas, played important roles in the domination of the Silver Arrows between 2014 and 2021. In fact, Hamilton lost the 2016 World Championship to Rosberg. But then, in 2017, he got back to winning ways. However, since 2021, he has not won a single world championship.
This Title-Drought Has Made Lewis Hamilton A Better Teammate
When Max Verstappen won the 2021 Driver’s World Championship, he literally dethroned the British great from F1 domination. Since then, the sport has seen an epic rise of the Dutch racer winning every title he and his team, Red Bull Racing, possibly can. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton had been winless since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix until the 2024 British GP. Clearly, the winless phase was very tough as the seven-time champion took the hard call to leave Mercedes at the end of this season. He will join the Prancing Horse next year. But Hamilton wants to end his journey with Mercedes on a winning note. He may not win the title this year because Red Bull’s Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris are too far ahead of the rest at this point.
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Nonetheless, things have been going in Hamilton’s favor lately. As a result, before the summer break, the Mercedes superstar finished with a couple of wins. Recently, in an interview with RaceFans.net, Lewis Hamilton mentioned that it always comes back to persistence and dedication in the end. He added, “Ultimately, Hard work always pays off.” Moreover, the seven-time champion pointed at becoming a better teammate in this tough time. He said that it is essential to see how one connects with people they work with. Moreover, the reason why he became a better teammate, as Hamilton feels, was that “We had more time to focus on communication.”
The Seven-Time Champion Won’t Be Part Of The Mercedes Resurgence For Too Long
Next year, the most decorated F1 driver will join the most successful team in the sport. Both parties are looking to end their title drought. In the last two years, Lewis Hamilton has learned a lot about perseverance and patience. Never had he had a season before 2022 when he stayed winless. Two years staying winless made him a better teammate as he said.
Lately, Mercedes seems to get back to title contention. However, if the Silver Arrows had not been in a slump for two years, Hamilton would not have been winless for so long. But now Toto Wolff’s team has made some good upgrades with a ‘Flexi front wing’ that makes the W15 car perform better. They may have a better season in 2025. But then, Lewis Hamilton will be driving for the iconic “Red Devils” Ferrari.
Stay tuned to Sports News International for more such updates about your favorite F1 team.