Lewis Hamilton has admitted that overcoming his controversial 2021 title defeat has taken a “long time to heal” upon ending his Formula 1 win drought last weekend
Hamilton was on course to win a record eighth Drivers’ title in Abu Dhabi that term as he maintained a comfortable lead over rival Max Verstappen in the closing laps.
However, the Briton was thwarted when then FIA race director Michael Masi contravened the restart procedure concerning lapped cars under a late Safety Car period.
Verstappen on new Softs overtook Hamilton on the last lap to clinch his maiden crown and the Dutchman went on to dominate the sport in the two full seasons since.
Meanwhile, Hamilton’s anguish was accentuated as Mercedes struggled with the latest ground effect regulations and he sustained successive winless F1 campaigns.
But the seven-time champion capitalised on Mercedes’ recent uptick in competitiveness to end his protracted wait to land a 104th win as he triumphed at Silverstone.
Asked whether his return to the top step is the final piece towards moving on from his 2021 heartbreak, Hamilton answered: “I didn’t get any time to tell [before 2022].
“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’m taking, for example, for next year [to move to Ferrari], the commitment I still have to this team and the love that I still have for my job.
“I really, really love this job and there’s never going to be anything that comes close to it and it’s something I’m incredibly grateful to being amongst this.
“These 20 drivers within this great sport that’s having such a momentous time. We had the launch of the trailer of the movie today.
“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 and that’s something natural for anyone that has that experience and I’ve just been continuing to try and work on myself and find that inner peace day by day.”
Hamilton is departing Mercedes right as the German marque appears to have cracked the latest rules, while Ferrari is on a downward slope with failed developments.
However, the ex-McLaren racer has denied that the two teams’ contrasting fortunes represent a “bittersweet” moment as he edges closer towards his Maranello move.
“I think when we started the season and we had a car where we weren’t going anywhere near Red Bull, for example, anywhere near looking like we would ever get a win through the year, that for me felt like it’d be kind of bittersweet at the end of the season where you’ve not had something like today and the fact that we’ve really all come together,” he explained.
“Everyone’s done such a great job to get the car into a place where we’re feeling much more comfortable and really changes from the foundation from last year.
“So not leaving on a low but leaving on a high which has been our goal.
“There’s still a long, long way to go but the car, and you know, by no means is the car the quickest car on the grid right now. I think we are super close and I think hopefully with a couple of, you know, with the next upgrade perhaps we will be in an even stronger position to really, really be fighting at the front row more consistently.
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