Lewis Hamilton opens up on mental health struggles after 2021 F1 title loss

Lewis Hamilton has spoken candidly about the mental health struggles he experienced as he tried to “heal” from his controversial 2021 F1 title loss.

The seven-time world champion claimed his first F1 victory in almost three years - his first since missing out on a record eighth world title to Max Verstappen in a contentious 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi - in Sunday’s British Grand Prix.

Mercedes have struggled for competitiveness since the introduction of new regulations in 2022 and while teammate George Russell has taken two wins in that time, Hamilton had been unable to add to his tally of 103 victories until an emotional triumph in an epic wet-dry home race at Silverstone.

Asked if his record-extending ninth British Grand Prix win was the final piece in the jigsaw to help him move on from the controversy which overshadowed 2021, Hamilton told media including Crash.net: “I think only time will tell. What I can say is that I’m not giving up.

“I feel like I’m making the right decisions with my life, how I prepare and how I manage my time. The decision I’ve taken for example for next year, the commitment I still have for this team, the love that I still have for this team, and the love that I still have for my job.

“I really, really love this job. There’s never going to be anything that comes close to it, and it’s something that I’m incredibly grateful to be in amongst, these 20 drivers within this great sport that’s having such a momentous time.

“Honestly, when I came back in 2022, I thought that I was over it, and I know I wasn’t, and it's taken a long time for sure to heal that kind of feeling. That’s only natural for anyone that has that experience. I’ve just been continuing to try and work on myself, and find that inner peace day-by-day.”

Hamilton went on to reveal he has faced several low points with his mental health during his 945-day wait to return to winning ways.

“The feeling, it feels different to previous races, and particularly races where you’re having race after race after race, or seasons where you’re having multiple wins,” Hamilton explained.

“I think with the adversity we've gone through as a team, and that I personally felt that I’ve experienced, those challenges, the constant challenge like we all have to get up out of bed every day and give it our best shot.

“There are so many times when you feel like your best shot is not good enough, and the disappointment sometimes that you can feel. We live in a time where mental health is such a serious issue, and I’m not going to lie, I have experienced that.

“There’s definitely been moments where the thought that this was it, that it was never going to happen again. So to have this feeling coming across the line, I think honestly, I've never cried coming from a win. It just came out of me. It’s a really, really great feeling. I’m very, very grateful for it.”