Hamilton: Lean seasons at Mercedes made me a ‘better teammate’

Lewis Hamilton has revealed how the recent lean seasons at Mercedes have not only tested his resolve in F1 but also taught him invaluable lessons in being a better team player.

The seven-time world champion's journey to reclaim victory – which he accomplished at Silverstone last month – began with a period of unprecedented adversity for the German outfit.

The introduction of ground effect cars in 2022 marked the start of a difficult era for Mercedes, culminating in a winless 2022 season for Hamilton, his first ever in F1.

For the Briton, it was a stark contrast to his previous years of dominance, as the German marque’s setbacks extended into the 2023 season. Yet, as the team continued to face challenges, Hamilton discovered the importance of resilience and teamwork.

“It’s not how you fall; it’s how you get up,” he told American men’s magazine Esquire. “It’s how you continue to apply yourself every single day.

“It’s how you connect with people that you work with. I probably learned to be a better team-mate in this period of time, because we’ve had more time to focus on communication.”

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The lack of victories during this challenging period forced Hamilton to confront doubts about whether he would ever win again. Reflecting on the mental battle that ensued, he explained how these tough times helped him develop a stronger mindset.

“Keeping yourself sane, trying to pick up new tools,” he expanded. “Ultimately, it always comes back to persistence and dedication.

“Hard work. It always does eventually pay off.”

The Briton’s plight also brought a deeper understanding of the endurance required to succeed in both racing and life.“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, you know?” he said.

Mercedes’ fortunes began to change in 2024, with the W15 evolving into a race-winning machine. Hamilton’s triumphant return to the top step of the podium at Silverstone, followed by another victory in Belgium, marked the end of his extended winless streak.

As he looks back on this journey, the F1 veteran expressed immense pride in the team’s resilience and their shared achievements.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the people that I work with on this team,” he explained at Spa recently, quoted by Motorsport Week.

“Mercedes supporting me at 13 years of age, giving me the chance to be a F1 driver for them, and then taking me on to this team, and putting all their faith behind me all these years.

“So, it’s been amazing, and we’ve gone through difficult times, but we’ve always come out with our heads high. I think we’ve stayed very, very true to pretty good values.”

With just 10 races left before he switches to Ferrari in 2025, Hamilton is determined to make the most of his final months with Mercedes.

“And so, for us to have now gone through this difficult phase, and us now slowly building back up to fight and win is a great, great feeling,” he said.

“I’m proud of the work George [Russell] and I did with the team, I’m really excited about the next three months.”

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