Lewis Hamilton "transformed" for F1 return: “I’m not the same man I was”
The Mercedes driver has spent the F1 summer break travelling Africa and believes he will return for the Belgian Grand Prix, on August 26-28, better for the experience.
“These past two weeks have been some of the best days of my entire life,” he said.
“I’m not the same man I was before this trip, all the beauty, love, and peacefulness I experienced has me feeling fully transformed.
“No amount of photos could capture how I’m feeling now and what I’m trying to say. Just know, where words fall short emotions run deep. I connected with my roots and my history and I feel my ancestors with me now stronger than I ever have before.
“Namibia, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania thank you. To the people here, the nature and the wildlife thank you. We were welcomed to each beautiful place we visited. We were treated like family. To my brothers who joined me on this journey, thank you. I know we’ll be talking about this forever.”
He previously praised: “I’m finally tracing my roots through Africa and guys, to say this journey has been a grounding experience is an understatement. This has been a life changing reset.
“I feel like I have gained a new perspective on life, grown an even stronger love for animals and became even closer with my brothers who I’ve shared this special journey with. Everywhere I look I’m surrounded by so much beauty, and I feel truly re-centred and at peace.”
The 37-year-old will return to the track with eight races remaining of the 2022 season.
He has not yet won a race this year - never before has Hamilton gone an entire season without a single win.
This campaign, his Mercedes W13 has been riddled with porpoising problems. The team that won seven driver’s championships in a row, before Red Bull’s Max Verstappen ended that streak in controversial fashion in Abu Dhabi, is already looking ahead to how they can bounce back in 2023.
But Hamilton has been on the podium five races in a row, before the summer break, leading to optimism that he could win a race in 2022 to perfectly tee himself up for a title challenge next year.
Next season is the last on Hamilton’s current contract with Mercedes - which makes him F1’s highest-paid driver - although he has hinted that he could continue into 2024 and beyond.
