Lewis Hamilton has opened up about the mental health issues he encountered following his contentious F1 2021 title loss.
Lewis Hamilton has candidly revealed the mental health challenges he faced while trying to recover from his controversial 2021 F1 title loss. The seven-time world champion celebrated his first F1 victory in nearly three years at Sunday’s British Grand Prix, marking his first win since the contentious 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi, where he narrowly 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 teammate George Russell secured two wins, Hamilton had been unable to add to his 103 victories until his emotional triumph at Silverstone, a wet-dry home race.
When asked if his record-extending ninth British Grand Prix win helped him move on from the 2021 controversy, Hamilton told 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 decisions I’ve taken 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.
“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.
“Honestly, when I came back in 2022, I thought that I was over it, but I wasn’t. It’s taken a long time to heal that feeling. That’s only natural for anyone who has had that experience. I’ve just been continuing to try and work on myself, and find that inner peace day by day.”
Hamilton also revealed he faced several low points with his mental health during his 945-day wait to return to winning ways.
“The feeling is different from previous races, especially seasons with multiple wins,” Hamilton explained. “With the adversity we’ve faced as a team, and my personal challenges, the constant effort to get up every day and give it my best shot.
“There are times when you feel like your best shot isn’t good enough, and the disappointment can be overwhelming. Mental health is a serious issue, and I’ve experienced it. There were moments when I thought it was over, that it was never going to happen again. So crossing the line and winning, I cried. It just came out of me. It’s a really great feeling, and I’m very grateful for it.”
