Hamilton draws inspiration from 2009 season to help Mercedes progress

In 15 years of career, never Lewis Hamilton had never experienced such a shortage. The Briton has never finished the first 13 Grands Prix of a season without a victory. The “record” was previously 10, in 2013 and 2009. 13 years ago, the seven-time world champion was only a simple champion, at McLaren. At the time, the Woking team had failed in its transition to the new aerodynamic regulations and the integration of KERS. “I remember getting in the car in Portimão, I think, and it was horrible to drive”, remembers Lewis Hamilton. “It was the worst car I had driven, apart from the engine which was good. I remember the struggles of that year, qualifying in 15th position in the first race and my continued efforts. »

Before his first victory in Hungary at the time, the Englishman had only scored 10 points with a car that was down in terms of pace. McLaren then reacted to give him five podiums and two victories in the last 8 races. According to Lewis Hamilton, the parallel between 2009 and 2022 is obvious. “This year, at the start of the season, it was very, very similar to when we were in February. We had a lot of performance in the car, a lot of confidence. We thought it was going to be good and then when you get in it, it bounces. It took us a long time to fix that. »

“Understanding this car was so confusing” explains Hamilton

After a rollercoaster start to the season – podium in Bahrain, elimination in Q1 in Saudi Arabia – Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes got up to the point of claiming victories in the last races. An impressive progression which was however far from obvious. “The start of the year wasn't that miserable, because it could always be worse, but I would say from a driver's point of view, understanding this car, it was so confusing. We were trying so many different things, trying to move forward and [we had] no confidence in the car. »

The experience that Lewis Hamilton had during the 2009 season shows that it is possible to return to the front despite a failed start at the start of the season. “It’s amazing to see a group of people who never give up. I think we have not yet taken the big step we took in 2009. We are not giving up, we are staying put. »

This 104th victory will therefore come at the right time, when Mercedes will have succeeded in adjusting the W13 to the Briton's taste. Hamilton is the only driver in the history of the F1 to have won a race every year he competed. And after two second places, that elusive victory in 2022 no longer seems so far away as fall approaches. “We just have to keep pushing. Every weekend we hope that we will get a little closer. »

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