Lewis Hamilton claims he’ll be ‘forever grateful’ for over ’20 years’ long journey with Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton has been under the reigns of Mercedes since the age of 13.

Lewis Hamilton claims he’ll be ‘forever grateful’ for over ’20 years’ long journey with Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

Lewis Hamilton is often considered the greatest driver of all time in F1. However, it was not as easy as it seemed during his junior racing career as he had to overcome racial and financial challenges. On the other hand, Mercedes found the young Brit full of potential and took him over into their racing academy. With their journey spanning over two decades, Hamilton reflected on their partnership and admitted that he would be grateful for them.

The 39-year-old has a detailed history with the team. Lewis Hamilton had an accelerated junior racing career and made his debut in F1 with Mercedes-powered McLaren in 2007. From the get-go, the Englishman was on pace and was a championship contender. Despite being the title favorite for quite a few rounds. However, he was pipped over in the final race and finished runner-up in the standings in his debut year.

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Despite the setback, he claimed his maiden championship in his sophomore year and laid down his path to success. He joined the works-Mercedes team in 2013 and won six more championships in the following years.

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The heritage of Mercedes is legendary. And I'm very fortunate to have been a part of Mercedes for this last 18 years. Actually more than that, 20 plus years, because they started supporting me when I was 13. But obviously every Grand Prix win that I've had, the 104 has been with Mercedes, powered by Mercedes, and something that I will always be grateful to have been a part of.
Lewis Hamilton said in an interview with RacingNews365

Moreover, as the Brit now prepares for his venture to Ferrari, he glimpsed over his time with the German marque and claimed that he would be forever grateful for them. He then pointed out that all of his 104 wins have been with Mercedes power, which made the seven-time world champion immensely thankful for it.

Peter Bonnington revealed characteristic of Lewis Hamilton that helped in winning the British GP

While his latest win was never in doubt, this victory came after a drought of 945 days. Hamilton had won his last race in 2021 before Mercedes fell into a slump of performance. However, when the opportunity was presented in front of him, he grabbed it with both hands, as explained by his race engineer.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Peter Bonnington
Peter Bonnington and Lewis Hamilton (image via IMAGO)

Peter Bonnington or ‘Bono’ as he is referred to most commonly, revealed why Hamilton managed to salvage the win even after a Red Bull tailgating him with much fresher tires.

You knew the front tyre was going to be weak, so you’ve just got to make sure you’ve got enough front end in there to protect it, and he does a great job. You know when it comes down to the wire, he’s the one that’s going to manage the tyres and get you to the end.
Peter Bonnington via Sky Sports F1

The 49-year-old stated that the front tires were going to be weak in the dying stages of the Silverstone race. Fearing its consequences, he had warned Hamilton about the same. Subsequently, he protected the fronts for the challenge in the last few laps, and owing to his experience he saved the life of the tires which helped him win the race.

After winning in Britain, the 39-year-old would be full of confidence. Thus, a battle for the win might resume at the next race as the top four teams are seemingly on a similar performance level.

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