Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton says he doubts himself and has ups and downs

When he lost the 2021 F1 season title on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi GP, Lewis Hamilton had to retire to reflect on his career. In addition to the frustration he carried for feeling wronged by the outcome of the Worlds, he was also emotionally worn out due to the dispute he had throughout the year with Max Verstappen.

The seven-time world champion remained silent until the start of the current season, when he explained that he was suffering emotionally. This Wednesday (13), in a lecture at the Vtex Day digital innovation and business event, held in São Paulo, the Englishman spoke in front of an audience of around 8,000 people about the emotional challenges he has been facing.

“Believe it or not, I have ups and downs, days when I think I’m not good enough, when I think I’ve failed. But we have to stand up, believe that we are strong,” said the Mercedes driver.

Belief in their strength has been tested this year. If in 2021 he starred with the Dutchman from Red Bull in one of the most electrifying disputes in F1 in recent years, this season the new car of the German team still does not allow him to fight for victories. In three races so far, his best result was a third place in Bahrain.

Hamilton assures that this does not affect his will to continue in the category. “I love working with the 2,000 people we have in the team. It’s my 16th season in F1, but I have the same hunger from the beginning, the focus on training, on health, on the mental side.”

Part of the inspiration that English seekers seek to remain committed to evolving, he finds precisely in Brazil. During the event in which he was the main attraction, he made a point of expressing his admiration for the country and, above all, for Ayrton Senna, his biggest idol.

“Ayrton was the driver I wanted to be,” he said. “In my childhood, when I came home from school, I always watched Ayrton’s races on a cassette tape. I did that every day,” he said.

On the tracks, he also looks for ways to connect with his idol, as he did at the 2021 São Paulo GP, when he carried the Brazilian flag in his car after winning the race at Interlagos.

“As I took that celebratory lap, I saw that flag at Turn 10, I stopped, and something pushed me to take it. It was a very proud moment for me,” he said.

The driver is also proud of the work he has done to increase diversity in F1. The theme of his talk in Brazil is related to his projects: “From underdog to leader: how to prosper against all odds and become a global icon”.

Considered the first black driver in the history of F1, Lewis Hamilton recalled the discomfort he felt when he joined the category, but highlighted the changes he has already managed to bring about.

“I was always the only black one on the team, in the pits. When I asked why, I never heard a satisfactory answer. I don’t think they were really interested in finding an answer. We’ve done that work and we’ve already started to see some minorities represented in the sport. My goal is to see a more diverse sport in 10 or 15 years. I feel that this is my responsibility.”

Hamilton will return to the track on the 24th, at the Emilia-Romagna GP, in Italy.