- Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone to end his drought
- Hamilton, 39, had endured a lengthy 945-day winless streak in Formula One
- Post-race, he was unable to hold back the tears as he reflected on his victory
Lewis Hamilton bravely opened up on his mental health battle in the wake of his Abu Dhabi title heartbreak in 2021 and admitted he did not feel he would win a Formula One race again after celebrating his sensational British Grand Prix triumph.
An emotional Hamilton ended an agonising 945-day winless streak after winning for a record ninth time at Silverstone on Sunday and broke down in tears as he reflected on his raw, rollercoaster journey back to the winner’s circle.
His victory marked his first since Saudi Arabia in December 2021, the race that preceded his agony in Abu Dhabi, where Max Verstappen denied him an eighth world crown in one of the most contentious races in the history of motorsport.
The 39-year-old had fallen victim to a human error by former race director Michael Masi and suffered from personal demons in the wake of the controversy.
‘It is the adversity that we have gone through as a team, and the adversity that I have personally experienced,’ Hamilton told reporters at Silverstone.
‘Those challenges to get out of bed every day and give it my best shot.
‘There are so many times where you feel like you give it your best shot and it is just not good enough. We live in a time where mental health is such as serious issue and I am not going to lie, I have experienced that.
‘When I came back in 2022 I honestly thought I was over it [Abu Dhabi 2021] and I wasn’t and it has taken a long time to heal that feeling and that is only natural for anyone that has had an experience like that.
‘This is the longest stint that I have not had a win and the emotion that has accumulated over that time, could make this one of the most special victories for me, if not the most special one. I have never cried from a win before.’
Hamilton, who will join Ferrari next season, embraced his father Anthony after stepping out of his Mercedes machine and wiped away his tears as he removed his helmet. He then jumped over a barrier, draped in a Union Jack, to celebrate.
‘I am still crying,’ Hamilton added. ‘There is no greater feeling than to finish at the front here. It is so tough for everyone. But the important thing is how you continue to get up and dig deep even when you feel like you’re at the bottom of the barrel.
‘There have definitely been days since 2021 where I didn’t feel I was good enough or I would get back to where I am today but I have had great people around me and supporting me.’
Hamilton saw off a late challenge from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen before taking the chequered flag at the end of a gripping dry-wet-dry race.
His win was the 104th of his storied career.
Breaking down in tears, Hamilton told his team over the radio: ‘This means so much to me,’ and was congratulated by his race engineer Peter Bonnington.
‘This one means a lot to us all,’ Bonnington replied.