Lewis Hamilton has reflected on the key learnings he took from the two tough years he faced prior to his return to winning ways at the 2024 British Grand Prix, with the seven-time world champion admitting that dealing with the struggles became a “battle of the mind”.
Following the introduction of the turbo-hybrid era in 2014, Mercedes enjoyed a dominant run in the sport which saw Hamilton win the drivers’ championship in every season – barring 2016 – from that year through to 2020.
However, when new technical regulations arrived in 2022, the Silver Arrows faced issues with their car and a period without wins ensued for Hamilton, a streak that was only broken when he claimed an emotional win at Silverstone this summer – 945 days after he had last stood on the top step of the podium.
In an interview with Esquire, Hamilton explained what he had learned about himself after going from a sustained run of success through to a more challenging spell.
“It’s been mostly a battle of the mind,” the 39-year-old conceded. “Keeping yourself sane, trying to pick up new tools. Ultimately, it always comes back to persistence and dedication. Hard work. It always does eventually pay off.