Lewis Hamilton doesn’t think that 2021 changed his attitude in any way even though there were some confliction after the happenings.
Hamilton had a winless campaign for the first time ever in his F1 career. It does seem and must feel a touch strange for him and for all especially 12 months on from finishing runner up on the back of ‘that’ last lap showdown coupled with six titles out of the previous seven seasons.
The 2022 season was a tough and irritating year for the Stevenage charger. The porpoising which affected the whole grid but Mercedes more than most had a lot of head-scratching on the Brackley fraternity from day but despite that there was some consistent performances from Hamilton and teammate George Russell.
Now, of course it all came good in the end where Russell won in Brazil and the team scored several second places, three in a row for Hamilton in fact. But overall, it could be said, it was a huge drop in fortune for the champion.
So near but yet so far in 2021 and a learning 2022, it was two seasons for Hamilton of massive contrast. “I don’t think so,” he started when asked if the 2021 result and these 12 months had changed him in any way. “I think at the beginning maybe but yeah, I think my love for the sport is still the same. And I think my commitment and time here hopefully is showing that”.
“I think it’s just been a much, much different year, one that naturally none of us in the team expected. And it’s taught us lessons that we, again, hadn’t realised that we didn’t have or hadn’t experienced in the past. And I think it’s just made us stronger. I think it’s been a really positive year in that respect,” summed up Hamilton.
A seven time world champion, over 100 wins, a hairs breadth from title number eight in 2021, Fernando Alonso is still going strong at 41, Sebastian Vettel has called it a day at 35, Hamilton is now 37 and shows no signs is letting up and he isn’t sure what keeps him going for now.
“What keeps me going? I don’t know,” said Hamilton. “It’s a question I have myself probably. Maybe it’s that Fernando and Seb are still here. But obviously we have lost Seb. I don’t know. I think I still love what I’m doing. I still love the challenge every year trying to evaluate at the end where you’ve been, what you’ve learned, leave the crap behind and then you know take the good bits forward”.
“How can you evolve to be better each time? How can you be healthier? How can you expand your mind and your body and spirit, so that I’m fully focused on doing that all the time. And yeah, we’re talking about the adrenaline rush. I mean, naturally, we’re all adrenaline seekers, and I don’t think that’s…”
“I’m sure Seb’s going to have to find something else because I think driving the farm truck is not going to bring that! Your tractor, you said you had a tractor. Maybe he’ll come skydiving with me. I tried to talk him into it, but he said he’s got kids, so it’s probably not going to happen,” summed up Hamilton.
It was a rough season for Hamilton but he will be back no doubt. If anything, the hunger and desire for wins has never been stronger. For 2023, he will surely once more be a championship contender especially with Mercedes having improved throughout the 2022 season.
Here’s James Vowles describing Mercedes’ 2022 in four words
Here’s Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s earning
Here’s Lewis Hamilton on starting and ending 2022 in same way
