Lewis Hamilton is determined to reignite his joy of racing in the second half of the Formula One season after bringing the first 14 races of the year to a close on a disconsolate and downbeat note.
Speaking before this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, the 40-year-old said he was as fired up as ever to wrestle the maximum from the remaining 10 races and, most importantly, enjoy himself in the process having endured a torrid start to his new career with Ferrari.
“I feel determined and motivated to [move forward],” he said. “We’re going to work hard, keep our heads down, try to change a few things in our approach and start to enjoy ourselves.
“There’s been so much pressure in this first half of the season that’s not been the most enjoyable. So I think just remembering that we love what we do. We’re all in this together and yeah, we’re trying to have some fun.”
The seven-time champion’s car has been off the pace and the process of adapting to Ferrari after 12 years with Mercedes has proved no little task, which had appeared to reach something of a nadir at the last round in Hungary. However after a summer break during which Hamilton said he had unplugged and had a chance to “reset”, he has been able to put the intensity and attendant scrutiny of his start at Ferrari behind him.
“The reason I got into this sport, it was fun for me,” he said. “For anyone in whatever career you’re in, if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, then why are you doing it? There can often be so much noise you can lose sight of what’s really, really important. I just really want to focus on getting back to that enjoyment.
“I joined the team that I’ve always dreamed of driving for and there’s been so much noise around that it’s kind of clouded us from from getting to enjoy it.”
Hamilton is currently sixth in the drivers championship and has gone 16 meetings without a podium, the longest streak off the top steps of his career. He qualified in 12th in Budapest, a result he decried as “absolutely useless” and stated that perhaps Ferrari should find another driver. After the race he alluded to “a lot going on in the background that is not great”.
However in Zandvoort he was insistent that he had always faced challenges in his career and was confident he and Ferrari would overcome their current travails.
“I never just got in and just won, there were always difficult times,” he said. “I’m the type of person that doesn’t like to get complacent and be comfortable and that’s really kind of where I was for the long-term relationship I had before.”
“Taking this step into a team that I truly believe in and I still believe in the potential here and what we can achieve together and everyone in the team does so. But no one succeeds without going through those tough patches so I do welcome it.”
