Lewis Hamilton Believes Next F1 Victory Will Be His Greatest Triumph
Lewis Hamilton is confident that Mercedes will eventually reclaim its position at the top of Formula 1, and he anticipates that his next win will be the crowning achievement of his illustrious career.
After securing the Formula 1 World Championship with McLaren in 2008, Hamilton grew disillusioned with McLaren’s inability to maintain a consistent title challenge. Consequently, he made the move to the Mercedes works team in 2013.
Mercedes capitalized on the switch to V6 turbo-hybrid engines in the following year, embarking on an unprecedented streak of eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships. During this dominant period, Hamilton clinched six World Championships, matching Michael Schumacher’s record, and surpassed Schumacher’s previous milestone of 91 race victories.
However, since December 2021, Hamilton has been unable to add to his tally of 103 race wins due to Mercedes’ struggles under the current regulations introduced last year.
Nevertheless, Hamilton remains optimistic about Mercedes’ future prospects, asserting that their return to the top would constitute his greatest racing achievement. He stated, “We’ll be coming back. We can do it. The next step to the top podium will come. And it will probably be my greatest triumph in my career.”
Mercedes’ ongoing struggles with their problematic W14 car were evident in the recent race at Suzuka, where Hamilton lacked the rear-end downforce to match his rivals. He ended up a full second behind Max Verstappen’s pole position time in the Red Bull RB19.
Looking ahead, Hamilton expressed hope that the extensive data gathered throughout this year will contribute to the development of a more competitive car for the 2024 season.
“I hope that the amount of data we have collected so far this year will have an impact on the new car,” Hamilton remarked. “That is the hope of the entire Mercedes team in all factories. We all have to always believe in our goals and never give up.”
While Hamilton is still aiming for an eighth World Championship, he refuted the notion that reaching this milestone would signal the end of his Formula 1 career.
“I never said that the eighth title was a stop signal for me,” Hamilton clarified. “But I’ll only know that [the endpoint] when I actually get there.”
Pressed on whether his chances of success in Formula 1 hinge on the Mercedes W15 car, Hamilton responded, “They say it: Without a great car, you can hardly achieve the big goals in Formula 1. No one.”
