Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, has candidly discussed the mental health challenges he faced following his controversial 2021 title loss. In a recent interview, Hamilton revealed the emotional toll the loss took on him and how he has been working to “heal” from the experience.
Hamilton’s first F1 victory in nearly three years came at the British Grand Prix on Sunday, marking his first win since the contentious 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi, where he missed out on a record eighth world title to Max Verstappen. Since the introduction of new regulations in 2022, Mercedes has struggled with competitiveness. While his teammate George Russell has secured two wins during this period, Hamilton had been unable to add to his tally of 103 victories until this emotional triumph at Silverstone.
When asked if his record-extending ninth British Grand Prix win was the final step in moving on from the 2021 controversy, Hamilton told the media, including Crash.net, “I think only time will tell. What I can say is that I’m not giving up. I feel like I’m making the right decisions with my life, how I prepare, and how I manage my time. The decision I’ve taken for example for next year, the commitment I still have for this team, the love that I still have for this team, and the love that I still have for my job.”
Hamilton expressed his deep passion for the sport, saying, “I really, really love this job. There’s never going to be anything that comes close to it, and it’s something that I’m incredibly grateful to be in amongst, these 20 drivers within this great sport that’s having such a momentous time.”
Reflecting on his return to racing in 2022, Hamilton admitted that he initially thought he had moved past the 2021 season’s events but realized it took much longer to heal. “Honestly, when I came back in 2022, I thought that I was over it, and I know I wasn’t, and it’s taken a long time for sure to heal that kind of feeling. That’s only natural for anyone that has that experience. I’ve just been continuing to try and work on myself, and find that inner peace day-by-day.”
Hamilton also shared that he faced several low points in his mental health during the 945-day wait to return to winning. He noted the unique feeling of this victory compared to previous ones, emphasizing the personal and team challenges they’ve endured. “The feeling, it feels different to previous races, and particularly races where you’re having race after race after race, or seasons where you’re having multiple wins,” he explained. “I think with the adversity we’ve gone through as a team, and that I personally felt that I’ve experienced, those challenges, the constant challenge like we all have to get up out of bed every day and give it our best shot.”
Hamilton acknowledged the pervasive issue of mental health, stating, “There are so many times when you feel like your best shot is not good enough, and the disappointment sometimes that you can feel. We live in a time where mental health is such a serious issue, and I’m not going to lie, I have experienced that.”
He admitted there were moments when he doubted whether he would ever win again. “There’s definitely been moments where the thought that this was it, that it was never going to happen again. So to have this feeling coming across the line, I think honestly, I’ve never cried coming from a win. It just came out of me. It’s a really, really great feeling. I’m very, very grateful for it.”
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