Lewis Hamilton likened to a ‘shark that smelled blood’ following British GP F1 triumph

Former Red Bull F1 driver Mark Webber has heaped praise on Lewis Hamilton following his triumph on home soil at the British Grand Prix.

Hamilton claimed his first F1 victory for over two years as he took the chequered flag on Sunday.

It was the seven-time world champion’s first triumph since his dramatic title loss at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The victory was an emotional one for Hamilton, who spoke about the mental health troubles and impact the ending to the 2021 campaign had on him, which was soon followed by Mercedes’ drastic dip in form.

Webber - who raced for Red Bull from 2007 to 2013, winning nine times - described Hamilton as being in “beast mode” while comparing him to a “shark in the ocean”.

“It was beast mode - home turf,” Webber said on Channel 4. “I think it was the back of the first stint when they're talking about rain coming, this is him smelling blood at that point. That's like a shark in the ocean.

“[This is Hamilton thinking] I've got opportunities here. I'm going to put pressure on everyone around me. I've got so much experience. I've got so much beautiful archive of success here.

“He grabbed that race by the scruff of the neck, the key decisions, he drove the team. This is what I want. This is when I want it, and I'm going to deliver. So cool heads.

“I'm a big Lewis fan. I know I said he's on the fringe of results but 'Where's that motivation? Where's that mojo? But you give him a flash of something like we saw, then stand back.”

Hamilton has now won 104 F1 races with seven titles to his name, making him the most successful driver of all time.

However, Webber conceded that despite all of Hamilton’s success in F1, his latest win will remove any small doubts in his mind about whether he could still do it at the top of the sport.

“For a man of his calibre, that is obviously massive,” Webber added. “And also for an individual like him, when you've got a trophy cabinet like his, with over 100 wins, but he still has that paranoid perfection, those micro doubts that people like Rafa Nadal talk about. 'Can I still do this?'

“Because the bar is so high anyway, when he lifts, just watch out. That is one of the biggest moments of his life.

“It could be his last win, but from when the lights went out, he was on the case and got the job done.”