Dutch professional racing driver Tom Coronel believes Lewis Hamilton has his fighting spirit back after evaluating the second half of his 2022 season.
The Dutch driver felt Hamilton had lost his hunger to win after a disappointing campaign in 2021, but after viewing his resurgence in the second half of the season, he changed his stance.
Speaking to the Motorsport Network, the Coronel talked about his fears for Hamilton at the beginning of the season:
“At the start of the season I was like ‘it’s time to go’. I really thought so. I don’t even know if it was so much the motivation. The blow you take as a sportsman after last year, of course you don’t just get over it. It gnaws in your head and you have sleepless nights. Everyone has that, no matter how such a great sportsman you are, so I think it was not so much the motivation with Hamilton.”
Coronel then described the seven-time world champion’s gradual resurgence:
“Lewis lacked the positivity in those first months, but that gradually came back – actually from Barcelona little by little. Then I saw him bite again, just as we are used to from him. At the end of the season he was really strong again .”
With Mercedes struggling with their car at the start of the season and given the aftermath of the 2021 campaign, it’s understandable that Hamilton didn’t have the best start this year.
Colonel feels Lewis Hamilton deserved a win this season as much as George Russell
Despite George Russell clinching Mercedes’ only win in Brazil this year, Coronel feels Lewis Hamilton equally deserved a win with his strong performances in the second half of the season.
The Dutch driver believes Lewis Hamilton drove at a competitive level despite the limitations of his car in the second half of the season and deserves equal credit.
Commenting on the Mercedes drivers and their victory in Brazil, Coronel said:
“I mean Russell did indeed take Mercedes’ only win this year but if you look at how he ended the year then Hamilton deserved that win too. I have to say at the end of the year Lewis has driven really well and also showed that the fighting spirit is back, especially towards next year.”
Lewis Hamilton had pretty much ruled himself out of the title run at the start of the season itself because of the struggling W13. However, as the car improved, the Briton regained his confidence and clinched podiums.
For the first time in his career, the seven-time world champion endured a season without a pole position or a win, but he’ll be hungry for a better performance in 2023.
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