Lewis Hamilton has dispelled any remaining skepticism about his driving prowess by securing a victory last weekend at Silverstone, ending a nearly three-year winless run, a former F1 driver pointed out.
Ever since the seven-time world champion narrowly missed out on the 2021 championship in a dramatic showdown with Max Verstappen, Mercedes has found it challenging to adapt to the new 'ground effect' era of F1.
Moreover, since 2022, Hamilton's teammate, George Russell, has seemed the more formidable contender within Mercedes, sparking debates over Ferrari's decision to sign the 39-year-old from 2025 onwards.
Frederic Ferret of L'Equipe, however, believes doubts about Hamilton were never warranted. "Legends must be respected," he penned, "and never buried."
Ferrari's team leader, Frederic Vasseur, expressed unwavering confidence to the Financial Times in Hamilton's capability to clinch more titles, mentioning that his new deal with Hamilton spans three years.
"He had to make a choice - 'Where do I have the biggest chance to win the world championship in 2025, '26, '27?'" Vasseur revealed. "And he said 'Ferrari'."
Hamilton himself, after showing rare emotional vulnerability last Sunday, admitted to having doubts about his peak performance level as the years have passed.
"There's definitely been days between 2021 and here where I didn't feel like I was good enough or whether I was going to get back to where I am today," he reflected.
"We live in a time where mental health is such a serious issue," Hamilton continued, "and I'm not going to lie - I have experienced that.
"There's definitely been moments where I thought it was never going to happen again."
Former F1 racer Ralf Schumacher expressed that Hamilton fully deserves to feel revitalized after his performance at Silverstone.
"There have been voices saying that his time may have run out, that he is getting too old, that Ferrari may be annoyed about their decision," he told Sky Deutschland.
"But now everything is back to square one - Hamilton is back," Schumacher concluded. "Stories like this are the beauty of motorsport and Formula 1."
