'It’s been mostly a battle of the mind' - Lewis Hamilton gives an insight on mental struggle while facing a nearly three-year win drought

Lewis Hamilton recently stated that his win drought for almost three years was mostly a battle of the mind for him. The seven-time world champion finally broke his winless run at his home race in Silverstone, England last month. He followed it up with a win at the Belgian GP before the F1 summer break.

Hamilton went over two and a half years without standing on the top step of the podium after his 103rd win at the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP, amid his epic title tussle with Max Verstappen. Speaking to Esquire, he said that he tried multiple tactics to bounce back and get another win in the sport but primarily credits his dedication.

"It’s been mostly a battle of the mind. 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. I think I learned that life is really about how much pain you can experience and keep going, and how much you can suffer and keep moving forward.

"And that’s life, right? It’s not how you fall, it’s how you get up. It’s how you continue to apply yourself every single day. It’s how you connect with people that you work with."

Further, the Mercedes driver stated that his record-extending ninth win at the iconic Silverstone track was "unexpected" and he had no idea that it could have been possible.

---

Lewis Hamilton explains his feelings after winning the 2024 British GP

As quoted by the aforementioned source, Lewis Hamilton said:

"Everyone was talking about it being this fairy tale. And it really, really was unexpected. Going into that weekend, I had no idea that that was going to be possible. And it had been such a long time. So many thoughts cross your mind. Some of them you start to potentially believe in, bit by bit."

The 39-year-old also credited the Mercedes crew's performance on race day and said they "excelled as a team, and it just kind of shuts that all down." Having signed a contract with Ferrari for the 2025 season and onward, he further stated about his 104th race win:

"Really great to be able to do it at home, in my home country, with my family around. The last race in Mercedes at Silverstone. It couldn’t have been more magical."

The win reignited the 2024 season for Hamilton as he was struggling against his teammate George Russell for most of the first half. Since Silverstone, the British driver seems to have found his old self back as he has overtaken Russell in the Drivers' Championship and currently sits in P6 with 150 points, 12 points behind Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.