Lewis Hamilton has spoken out about his recent experience at Mercedes, stressing the ‘pain’ of their performance issues.
The seven-time world champion won six of his titles with Mercedes, a sequence that ended at the hands of Max Verstappen.
The two were embroiled in a fierce fight throughout the 2021 season, culminating in a contentious final lap of racing in Abu Dhabi that awarded the Dutchman his first world championship.
Since the 2022 regulation changes, Mercedes has slipped behind their Red Bull competitors, with Hamilton going 56 races without a race win, the longest streak of his career.
When will Lewis Hamilton leave Mercedes?
Hamilton’s problems persisted into 2024, with him regularly lamenting the pace of the W15 and describing the first half of the season as his ‘worst ever’.
While Mercedes has improved in recent races, with Hamilton winning at Silverstone and Spa, the 39-year-old is leaving for Ferrari in 2025.
In a recent interview with Esquire, Hamilton detailed his troubles at Mercedes and the ‘pain’ of their performance following his title victory.
“The majority of the battle has been mental. “Keeping yourself sane, trying to learn new tools,” he explained.
“Ultimately, it all boils down to perseverance and determination. Hard work. It always ends up paying off.
“I believe I realized that life is basically about how much suffering you can endure and yet move on, you know?
“That’s life, right? It doesn’t matter how you fall; what matters is how you get back up. It’s how you keep applying yourself every day. It’s how you communicate with the folks you work with.
“I probably learned to be a better teammate in this period of time, because we’ve had more time to focus on communication.”
