Lewis Hamilton insists he is not thinking about winning a record eighth world championship – despite admitting he is making every “sacrifice” possible in order to drive into the history books.
A resurgent Hamilton heads into this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix firmly in the title discussion after he charged to his first Ferrari victory at the previous round in Spain.
Hamilton’s triumph ended a 686-day wait for a victory and helped to shelve an ugly opening campaign in red where he failed to record a single podium, and at one stage even called on the Italian giants to replace him with another driver.
Hamilton is second in the standings, 41 points behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli after the 19-year-old, who replaced him at Mercedes, won five consecutive races.
But speaking at the eighth of a scheduled 22 rounds in Spielberg, where temperatures are soaring, Hamilton, 41, said: “I am not really thinking about competing for a championship. I want to win this weekend. That is my goal. And that is what I have been working towards all of last week, and this week, too.
“I haven’t been out for dinners. My head has been back down, the sacrifices required to make sure I arrive 100% so I can deliver – especially knowing how far my performance reaches.
“I am thinking about each race, arriving and executing as we did at the last race, with pit-stops, with strategy, we were all in sync, and having that all in one weekend is the most important thing, and not about what is going to happen in 15 races’ time.”
Hamilton’s record-extending 106th career win was fondly received across social media.
A video of a groom who delayed his wedding speech to inform his new bride of Hamilton’s victory went viral and was even reposted by the seven-time world champion.
Hamilton continued: “People wonder what you do when you win a race, and take a first Grand Prix win for Ferrari, and I got back home spending hours on the couch just reposting these beautiful stories and videos that I saw, and different messages from people.
“It was really, really overwhelming to experience it. It is nice to see people saying positive things, but I am also aware of the negative things that were said before.”
George Russell finished second to Hamilton in Barcelona as he awaits his first win since the opening race in Australia in March.
Russell, who drove alongside Hamilton at Mercedes for three seasons, said: “It’s great to see Lewis back doing what he does best.
“You know, people were writing him off last year or even the year we were team-mates. ‘Is he too old? Is he this? Is he that?’ And he’s been smashing it for the last four or five races now. It just shows that you don’t forget how to drive overnight.
“You need yourself, your team, everything just to click. And when it clicks, you fly. So that’s where he is at the moment and for sure he is a big threat. Ferrari feel like they’re coming and Lewis is at the forefront of that.”
