Lewis Hamilton: Abu Dhabi 2021 heartache taken ‘long time to heal’ says Mercedes driver after British GP win | F1 News

Lewis Hamilton mentioned it had taken a “very long time to heal” the influence of the controversial conclusion to the 2021 Components 1 season as he talked in regards to the psychological well being challenges he has gone by within the 30 winless months that adopted earlier than his British Grand Prix triumph.

Hamilton skilled what he described as his “most emotional finish to a win” ever in F1 on Sunday after taking the chequered flag for a report ninth time at Silverstone, with the seven-time champion breaking down in tears on his slow-down lap again to the pit lane.

The victory ended a 56-race drought – the longest the 39-year-old had beforehand gone with out successful in F1 was 10 races – for the reason that penultimate spherical of the 2021 season in Saudi Arabia amid Hamilton’s tense title duel with Max Verstappen.

Within the following season-ending and title-deciding spherical in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton was main and on target to say a report eighth world crown earlier than Verstappen overtook him on the ultimate lap after an incorrect dealing with of the Security Automobile restart process by then-race director Michael Masi, in a highly-controversial finale which the FIA later mentioned was the results of “human error”.

Hamilton instructed Sky Sports activities after Sunday’s race that he had questioned throughout moments for the reason that finish of 2021 whether or not he had wished to proceed within the sport amid Mercedes’ subsequent fall from the F1 summit.

Talking within the later post-race press convention at Silverstone, Hamilton mentioned in direct reference to Abu Dhabi 2021: “Truthfully, once I got here again in 2022, I assumed that I used to be over it. And I do know I wasn’t and it is taken a very long time for positive to heal that type of feeling.

“And that is solely pure for anybody that has that have.

“And I’ve simply been persevering with to try to work on myself and discover that interior peace day-to-day.”

Hamilton on his psychological well being challenges and self doubts

Having suffered the heartache of shedding out on turning into F1’s solely eight-time champion after probably the most intense title struggle the game had seen for years, Hamilton returned for the next season after a winter wherein he had mulled his future within the sport solely to search out himself and Mercedes instantly of competition for victories and extra titles after the staff had been caught out at first of the game’s new ground-effect regulation period.

That struggles for a breakthrough continued on in to this season, with Mercedes solely not too long ago discovering what Hamilton has termed a “North Star” of their automobile growth and returning to front-running competition. Hamilton’s Silverstone triumph their second in as many weeks after team-mate George Russell gained in Austria after Verstappen and Lando Norris collided late on.

Reflecting on the two-and-a-half yr street again to the highest step of the rostrum, Hamilton opened up on the difficult interval he had received by since Abu Dhabi and why he had been delivered to tears by his 104th win.

“I believe with the type of the adversity I’d say that we have gone by as a staff and that I personally felt, that I’ve skilled, these challenges, the fixed problem like all of us should get off the bed every single day and provides it our greatest shot,” he mentioned.

“And, you realize, there’s so many occasions the place you are feeling like your finest shot is simply not adequate. And the frustration generally you could really feel, you realize, and we reside in a time the place psychological well being is such a critical problem. And I am not going to lie, that I’ve skilled that.

“And there is positively been moments the place you realize, the thought that this was it, that that was by no means going to occur once more. So to have this sense come throughout the road, I believe, actually, I’ve by no means cried coming from a win. It simply got here out of me. And it is a actually, actually nice feeling. I am very, very grateful for it.”

Wolff: Win a weight off Hamilton’s shoulders

Hamilton’s boss at Mercedes, Toto Wolff – who has spoken brazenly about his personal challenges with psychological well being – believes the 39-year-old’s return to the winner’s circle will present an enormous increase.

“It is clear our relationship goes again a very long time and every of us has suffered at varied levels,” mentioned Wolff, who has labored with Hamilton all through his 11-year Mercedes profession.

“He has been there for me and most not too long ago I’ve tried to do my contribution to his doubting at occasions.

“That is what it feels actually good that he has been capable of put all of the negativity apart and give you this efficiency.

“I believe it is a weight off his shoulders.”

Hamilton’s record-breaking ninth British GP win introduced up a number of important statistical milestones and it was additionally a very poignant one for each driver and staff given it was the ultimate time he’ll race on house soil for the Brackley-based outfit earlier than his winter swap to Ferrari.

Hamilton has claimed eighth of his 9 house with Mercedes since becoming a member of from McLaren in 2013.

“It was so tough over the past two years that we could not actually discover efficiency and could not give the drivers a automobile that enabled them to go for the victories,” added Wolff.

“And to make him win once more on the British Grand Prix in his final race for Mercedes right here is sort of like a bit fairytale.

“We could not have scripted it higher.”

Subsequent up for F1 is the Hungarian Grand Prix from Budapest on July 19-21. You may watch each session reside on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream each F1 race and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime