After losing out on the 2021 world title, Lewis Hamilton sought redemption the following year. Unfortunately, Mercedes entered a slump, which also coincided with the arrival of George Russell. They had to endure a difficult period of two years in the midfield, during which Hamilton insisted he became a better team player.
Hamilton won the Saudi Arabian GP in 2021 after which he had to wait almost three years to win again. It was poetic for him to end the drought in his home race — the British GP — after which he admitted about his internal battle to deal with being away from the top step of the podium.
But even during the hard times, Hamilton never lost faith. Per RaceFans.net, he said, “Ultimately, it always comes back to persistence and dedication. Hard work. It always does eventually pay off.”
BACK ON TOP!!!
LEWIS HAMILTON WINS THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX!#F1 #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/gcnGJWVg8I
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 7, 2024
“It’s how you connect with people that you work with. I probably learned to be a better teammate in this period of time, because we’ve had more time to focus on communication.”
The Briton had been at odds with the team over the development direction of their car last year. Several reports were claiming that Mercedes did not listen to Hamilton’s feedback and inadvertently amplified their problems with the W14.
Hamilton and Mercedes have gotten past that difficult state, and are now among the front-runners. Finally, they have a stable and quick enough car to fight for podiums and wins, and a major credit goes to Hamilton’s feedback and trust in the team.
The seven-time champion, however, won’t be a part of the resurgence for very long, because he will move to Ferrari in 2025. Still, Mercedes taught him how to deal with being in a tough situation, and showed that with perseverance, it is possible to get out of it.
