Lewis Hamilton left a clear message during the presentation of his new car for the 2022 season, the Mercedes W13. “I’m back and I’ll be stronger than ever in 2022,” the seven-time world champion flatly stated.
Following the season finale in Abu Dhabi , Hamilton shared his thoughts on new world champion Max Verstappen but did not engage in any other media-related activities for the remainder of the evening.
A few days later, he made an appearance at a Mercedes event in Brackley to celebrate the title of constructors’ world champions, but withdrew from the spotlight, withdrawing from social networks and practically disappearing.
It’s quite common for people to take a few weeks off from work over the Christmas and New Year holidays, but speculation about the English driver’s future increased when his silence continued after the holidays.
Mercedes did not help to quell the rumors about its possible withdrawal from F1 , which could be interpreted as the threat of Hamilton, one of the great stars of the category, not to return could give some extra motivation both to the new president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem , as well as F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali , to go ahead with changes to the race management system.
Less appreciated was the fact that even with an eighth title, Hamilton might as well have been gone for a while. Surely he would have gone to the FIA awards gala and attended some advertising commitments or to the same media, which is usual among drivers, but he would still have liked to enjoy a temporary break.
It’s not easy to appreciate all that it takes to be an elite athlete at the level Hamilton and Verstappen have been, especially towards the end of the 2021 season, when the battle intensified and Hamilton needed to pull out everything he had to stay in the fight.
The attention and concentration required, not to mention the physical effort involved in staying in shape at the level required to compete in this discipline, are enormous. Hamilton has been in this elite since 2007, always in positions that have, at the very least, allowed him to occasionally fight for victory.
This winter he had one more consideration, as he needed to process what happened in Abu Dhabi and consider whether he wanted to continue racing after what happened in the season finale.
In the end and after reflection, Hamilton realized that the desire to fight for that eighth world title that would separate him from Michael Schumacher outweighed any negative feelings, something that seemed to be clear from the beginning for those who know the Mercedes driver.
“I was never worried about him leaving,” Toto Wolff , his boss, said Friday. “Within the team, we knew he needed to take some time to reflect and, in particular, understand how he was going to come back in the best frame of mind possible. So from our side, there was no concern that he might not come back.”
“I think he did the right thing, to step away from the microcosm of F1, and to step aside. To shut down socially. And he’s come back with a great mindset.”
“He’s positive, he’s determined. Still, the adversity thrown at him will make him stronger. And like he said, he’s in attack mode.”
Hamilton ‘s great mood was evident at the presentation of the Mercedes W13. Shortly after the unveiling, he had his first face-to-face meeting with the media since Saturday in Abu Dhabi, albeit via the Zoom video calling platform, welcoming them back after many weeks of silence.
“First of all, hello everyone,” he greeted. “Glad to see you all. Thought we’d be doing this in person after God knows how many years! Hope you’re all doing well and your families are healthy and well.”
“I also hope this is a great year for you. I’m here in the UK, it’s quite cold and the sky is grey, typical British weather!”
“Obviously it’s been a difficult time for me, to tell you the truth. I’d like to thank you all. A good part of you I’ve known for a long, long time, we’ve been on this journey for 15 or 16 years together.”
“But the support you gave me at the end of last year was incredible. I’m eternally grateful to all of you. So thank you.”
From the start, Hamilton was animated and engaged with questions, answering whatever the reporters threw at him.
The most repeated theme was what had gone through his head during the winter. The pilot did not dodge the questions and offered his explanation of the facts.
“I just unplugged, shut down. I think on the one hand, I deserved to be able to unplug at the end of the year. I have my family around me. It was actually a rare moment where we were absolutely all together and I just focused on to be with them.”
“Of course it took me a while to digest what had happened, and I think it’s still a bit difficult to understand. But it helped me come back stronger, because what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. So I focused only on training, getting in shape and enjoying my free time, because it goes by quickly”.
Did Hamilton think about retiring from Formula 1?
“I’ve thought about retiring so many times!” commented the Briton. “I’m kidding. No, I really haven’t. Of course, at the end of every season you think about it, and the question is whether you’re willing to put in the time and effort that it takes to be world champion.”
“I think a lot of people underestimate what it takes to be a champion. There are so many factors to take into account. It’s not just showing up and getting in the car.”
“So yeah, the question is: do you want to sacrifice time? Do you think you can keep going with the same intensity? This is a normal thought process for me.”
“But sure, this one was compounded by a major event. And I think, in the end, a sport that I’ve loved all my life… There was a point where I obviously lost a little bit of faith in the system.”
“But I’m usually a very determined person. And I like to think that while moments like this can define someone else’s sports career, I refuse to let this define mine. And so I’m focused on being the best I can be.” and come back stronger.”
Asked by reporters to explain his current mood in more detail, Hamilton highlighted the importance of the winter break .
“With these long seasons, there isn’t as much time off as you would expect. It just seems to get shorter and shorter. But I think over the years I’ve learned to be efficient with my time, with my recovery, and then with training. , and the reconstruction, both of the body and of the mind”.
“But I feel great. I feel fit. Naturally, having another year of experience always helps. And I always feel that through these kinds of experiences you can turn that emotion into strength, into power.”
“That’s what I’m doing. I put it into my training. I put it into the work that I do with the men and women that are part of this team.”
“And if people think that what they saw at the end of last year was the best of me, they have to wait to see this year.”
This last sentence summed up how he feels heading into the 2022 season and how he has turned the disappointment he felt in December into something positive for himself.
Something that Hamilton did not want to comment on in detail were the specific circumstances of Abu Dhabi, and how the last part of the race unfolded.
“It was something that was very clear in my head, the experience, and, of course, all that was repeated in my mind quite a bit in the weeks after the race. I don’t remember what I said to Max, everything is a bit blurry after So I haven’t reviewed it, I don’t want to go back, I want to look forward.”
Part of that change of focus towards the future revolves around the changes announced by Ben Sulayem , the new director of the FIA, with perfect timing (published the day before the presentation of Mercedes), and topped by the confirmation of the departure of Michael Masi from the position of F1 race director.
“While we can’t change the past, and nothing can really change how I felt back then, and how I feel now about the situation, it’s good to see that the FIA is taking steps to make improvements,” Hamilton said.
“I think accountability is key, and we need to seize this moment to make sure this never happens to anyone else in this sport ever again.”
“Everything that the FIA has said is welcome. But we have to make sure that we continue to monitor and make sure that we really are seeing those changes, and the rules are being applied fairly, accurately and consistently.”
Asked if he had faith in the revamped FIA system, he added: “I put faith and trust side by side. Trust can be lost in the blink of an eye. But gaining the trust of others It’s something that builds over a very long period of time.”
“So even though I didn’t see it coming, as I said, this first announcement that they made yesterday is maybe a first step of that. But it doesn’t necessarily change everything yet. We have to see it in action, and I think it’s going to take a little bit of time.” .
“But right now I’m not focused on this. I’m just putting all my energy and time into making sure I’m the best that’s ever been seen.”
Hamilton also answered a question about his relationship with Verstappen and the Red Bull team, after things got so rocky between them at the end of the 2021 season. The Englishman kept the focus away from his Dutch rival.
“This has nothing to do with Max. He did everything a driver would do if given the opportunity he was given. He is a great competitor, and we will go into another battle like we did last year, and I hope we behave well. … Obviously we will grow from these races and experiences that we had throughout last season.”
“But I don’t have a problem with him. I don’t hold a grudge against anyone, I think it’s not a good thing to carry that around. I’m moving on, I’m not stuck in the past.”
“And like I said before, I feel fresh, centered and totally focused. This year I don’t have anything holding me back from moving forward. I didn’t have it last year either, but I’m not going to let that experience be one of them.” .
There is no doubt that Hamilton is back and eager to start the competition. The arrival of George Russell at the Mercedes team makes it all the more interesting, while the new rules present a welcome challenge for a guy who knows how to get the most out of a car and push his engineers to the limit.
At 37, he continues to improve, as he showed last year. Hamilton has always used negative experiences to motivate himself further, but now it all depends on how good the new Mercedes W13 is.
