Hamilton reveals F1 BOREDOM at Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton has admitted he has often experienced boredom during his time at Mercedes.

The Brit has collected six of his seven Formula 1 world titles whilst driving for the Silver Arrows, cementing his status as one of the greatest drivers of all time.

F1 HEADLINES: Italian Grand Prix rocked by early CRASH as Mercedes announce driver replacement

READ MORE: Hamilton replacement CRASHES as F1 debut rocked by red flag

However, having endured a frustrating few seasons following his last title win in 2021, Hamilton made the decision to join rivals Ferrari from 2025 in a move which shocked the sporting world.

READ MORE: F1 safety car CRASHES at Italian Grand Prix

Hamilton: Mercedes' F1 dominance was boring

Despite making an underwhelming start to his final campaign at Mercedes, the 39-year-old has enjoyed a recent upturn in form, clinching race wins at Silverstone - his first since December 2021 - and Spa.

His eighth-place finish last weekend in Zandvoort, however, suggested that there may be more disappointing days to come over the final nine races of the year.

Though Hamilton would like to rediscover some of the form which brought so much success earlier in his career, he has admitted that there was a substantial downside to being the sport's dominant force.

Speaking on the Performance People Podcast, the ex-McLaren star revealed that he would often prefer fighting from further back on the grid, rather than starting from pole.

"It’s so boring," he said when quizzed on why that was the case. "Honestly, when you’re starting from first, leading the race all the way through then winning, it’s really boring compared to fighting from the back and racing.

READ MORE: Mercedes announce driver REPLACEMENT for Italian GP

"[Being at the front] isn’t racing. You are fighting a time gap behind you so you have to psyche yourself into thinking you’re fighting the car ahead - you have to be chasing something.

"But it’s different when you have cars ahead of you, especially when it’s on a track where you can overtake like Austin or Silverstone for example.

"You’re trying to discover different lines, utilising the tyres, the wind, all these different things.

"When you get someone in a battle, that’s the most rewarding experience as a driver."

READ MORE: F1 staff go on STRIKE as team blindsided by Italian GP protest

Related

Daniel Ricciardo

Ricciardo F1 RETURN verdict issued as team chief offers comeback twist

• Yesterday 19:57

Isack Hadjar

Who is Isack Hadjar? The Red Bull phenom promoted to F1 for 2025

• December 20, 2024 16:47