Lewis Hamilton, one of the most successful drivers in motorsports and a seven time F1 world champion, witnessed a dark phase from 2021-2023. He was denied a deserved eighth title in Abu Dhabi 2021 after former FIA race director Michael Masi tweaked the rule book to benefit Max Verstappen.
Since then, Mercedes were displaced as the undisputed champions of F1 by Red Bull, thus leading to a near 1000 days of challenges and struggles for Lewis Hamilton. He went through several ups and down in the last two years and after finally getting back to winning ways, Hamilton recalled mental challenges he faced during that phase.
Lewis Hamilton Reveals How He Batted Negativity During Winless Drought
Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton had to wait for 945 days to taste his career 104th victory at the 2024 Silverstone Grand Prix in front of his home fans. He struggled with the current ground effect technical regulations for two years, decided to switch to Ferrari in 2025 and then eventually received a competitive car from Mercedes in 2024. Lewis Hamilton not only ended his 945-day winless drought at Silverstone but also won the Belgian Grand Prix courtesy of George Russell’s disqualification. Having said that, for a man who holds the record for most wins in F1, it certainly wasn’t easy to survive 945 days without second-guessing his existence in the sport.
Lewis Hamilton, 39, also struggled with self-doubt. He recently opened up on the mental struggles he had to endure and how dedication, passion, perseverance and hard work helped him overcome the daunting period. “So many thoughts cross your mind. Some of them you start to potentially believe in, bit by bit,” Hamilton said. The seven-time world champion added that, eventually, it all boils down to hard work and honesty for the craft. It paid for him as he won the 2024 Silverstone Grand Prix, which was a fairytale moment in itself since it was his last home run with Mercedes. “The last race in Mercedes at Silverstone. It couldn’t have been more magical,” he added. Needless to say, Lewis Hamilton’s winning spree isn’t going to end anytime soon. Mercedes are challenging Red Bull upfront, and the fans can expect more battles for P1 in the second half of the 2024 season.
Mike Elliott Ruled Out Of Ferrari’s Race
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton was expected to poach a few engineers from Mercedes as he departs for Ferrari in 2025. While Pete Bonnington’s stance remains unclear, ex-chief technical officer Mike Elliott was also rumoured to be on Ferrari’s radar as they revamp its internal team under the supervision of Fred Vasseur.
However, as per recent reports, Mike Elliott’s Ferrari move is ruled out, as the engineer was apparently never on the red team’s radar. Loic Serra will instead be appointed as the technical office for the next season. Notably, Ferrari also failed to land Red Bull’s aero wizard Adrian Newey, as Aston Martin reportedly signed the veteran for a whooping cheque in a minimum 3-year contract.
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