F1 Azerbaijan GP: “Today shows that hunger is there,” Lewis Hamilton reaffirms motivation to succeed following impressive comeback at Baku

The Englishman made up a lot of places after bad luck with the Safety Car.

F1 Azerbaijan GP: “Today shows that hunger is there,” Lewis Hamilton reaffirms motivation to succeed following impressive comeback at Baku

Lewis Hamilton via Sports Illustrated

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend disappointed Mercedes, who had higher expectations than their results. The team had undergone shuffling in team management, as well as brought in upgrades, which were meant to see them carry their momentum forward from Melbourne and stay on a positive trajectory.

However, a dismal qualifying session saw George Russell knocked out in Q2, and Lewis Hamilton only manage P5. Race day was no kinder to them, as just as Hamilton completed his pitstop and put on a fresh set of tires, an incident involving the AlphaTauri of Nyck de Vries on lap 11 prompted the deployment of the Safety Car. This saw all the cars ahead of the 7-time World Champion gain a free pitstop, which saw him drop the order to P10.

https://youtu.be/WDRJfNhbp8c

FS Video

The veteran showed the world his grit and perseverance, however, and managed to cut through the field, finishing in an admirable P6. We saw glimpses of the world champion we witnessed over the course of his unparalleled dominance. After the race, Hamilton said, ” I lost many positions [ behind the Safety Car ], but I thought it was what it was and I went on the attack. I hope today shows that hunger is there and as soon as I find that trust in the car, the pace will come ”.

The star from Stevenage has reassured the world of his motivation and has insisted that as the team keeps working hard to develop the car, the pace will come. The fact that Hamilton gained the positions back shows that the team is moving in the right direction with their research and development, and he is optimistic of their chances in the coming weeks. He is trailing Fernando Alonso by 12 points, and sits in 4th, who he will look to pressurize in the next races.

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Lewis Hamilton’s quest for another race win continues

Lewis Hamilton via Essence Magazine
Lewis Hamilton via Essence Magazine

The Englishman has a proclivity for victory and triumph, as the world witnessed between 2014 and 2020. Lewis Hamilton was only edged out once in that time, by his teammate Nico Rosberg in 2016. Since he began his F1 career in 2007, crossing the checkered flag at first was not a hope but an expectation of his.

However, since his triumph over Max Verstappen at Jeddah of 2021, who subsequently dethroned him, a race win has evaded Hamilton. He has not won a race for over 500 days. The 2022 season marked the first of his illustrious 16-year-long career, where he failed to register a race win. This statistic is one that neither fans nor the paddock alike ever believed would be witnessed.

The 7-time world champion, however, has shown his intent to improve with the team over the course of the struggle the Silver Arrows has endured over the past two years. He is hungry to win again. Amid rumors of his imminent retirement, or even departure, he has reaffirmed his desire to remain at the Brackley-based team, and be the catalyst that returns them to winning ways.

Lewis Hamilton is also interested in a long-term deal at Mercedes, not a single-year extension. After the race, he told Brazilian journalist Julianne Cerasoli, “I’m thinking long term. I don’t want to stay here for another year. I want to stay longer.” The veteran has a championship-winning mentality and is undoubtedly hunting for his eight world championship with Mercedes. The upgrades the team brings in the following weeks will be crucial in determining whether he will take the top step of the podium again this season.

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