The 2023 F1 season wasn’t the rosiest for Mercedes
It was the worst but it is the backbone of lessons Lewis Hamilton learnt in 2023
He was hopeful of having a better season in 2023 with the W14
The 2023 F1 season wasn’t the rosiest for Mercedes. If anything, it was the worst but it is the backbone of lessons Lewis Hamilton learnt in 2023.
Hamilton, 38, hasn’t had much coming his way for the last two seasons. He was hopeful of having a better season in 2023 with the W14 but it never lived up to his expectations. The car has had performance issues just like the W13 which frustrated him in the 2022 season.
Not one to shy from speaking his mind, Hamilton has so much to tell about this season.
Lessons Lewis Hamilton Learnt in 2023
Self-doubt
In a shocking revelation, he told BBC in an interview that with such a season, it sparks self-doubt. He now understands that it is a part of being a human and it happens to everyone across the world.
“When you have difficult seasons like this, there are always going to be moments when you’re like: ‘Is it me, or is it the car? Do you still have it? Has it gone? Because you’re missing that, you know… when the magic happens, when everything comes together, the car and you, and that spark, it’s extraordinary. And that’s what you’re in the search for,” he admits.
Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton. Photo/Fox Sports
Team Work and Communication
He implores that he requested for changes on the W14 from the engineering team but nothing was done. While this frustrated him, he resolved to have big talks with those involved, and it helped ease his stress though they could not figure out the real problem on the car’s design.
“Having the experience of the previous year, I just applied myself, in terms of digging down, sitting with the guys. We were having much better meetings,” he adds.
Power of Positivity
Optimism and positivity are big lessons Lewis Hamilton learnt in 2023. The British driver turned his frustration into positivity which helped him do better with the team. He also realized that with negativity, he would hurt because all he knew was that it would be a long year for the Silver Arrows.
His charm of positivity did a lot of good for the team by encouraging everyone to be hopeful and give their best.
Push and Doors Open
Due to his current contract expiring at the end of the 2023 season, Hamilton had to negotiate a new two-year deal in the middle of the season. It is his biggest score among lessons Lewis Hamilton learnt in 2023.
Notwithstanding the odd newspaper article that appeared from time to time, he and Wolff have always maintained that there was never any doubt he would leave the squad. In response to the question of whether he had ever doubted his ability to endure another two years of this, Hamilton validates this.
Never Say Never in Life
Lewis Hamilton F1 season. Photo/GPFans
With his new contract, Hamilton will continue competing in Formula One after turning 40, something he stated he could not have imagined five years ago.
Looking back, he says that he understands better why anything can change so quickly in life.
“What you’ve got to learn is you should never say never. But at that point, I definitely didn’t think I’d be continuing. They are frickin’ long seasons. It’s a long time away from everyone. I’ve been doing it 16 years. It’s gruelling.
Staying Fit All the Time Matters
F1 is a grueling sport and many people never realize this because of all the glamour associated with it. Nevertheless, nothing beats the joy of training hard to stay fit and keep winning.
“There’s a lot of glitz and glamour and lots of positives but it’s by no means easy to stay at your best, to stay committed, to keep up the training, to continue to deliver. It’s a lot of pressure.” This sums up lessons Lewis Hamilton learnt in 2023.
Teresa is a journalist with years of experience in creating web content. She is a wanderlust at heart, but an outgoing sports writer with focus on tennis, athletics, football, motorsports and NBA.
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