Lewis Hamilton was able to cross off the 44 on his F1 wins card, after taking a dramatic victory at the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix in the last round of the Formula One world championship.
Following an unfortunate run of bad luck so far this season, the Brit finally got a win to his name and put himself firmly back in contention for the title, a result the current world champion still cannot believe he has achieved.
“I still can’t quite believe I’ve got my 44th Formula One win. It’s taken so much hard work from so many people throughout my career to reach this point – way too many to name – and it’s a very special landmark for me and my family.
“I have to say how grateful I am to my mechanics for sticking at it and sticking with me after what’s not been an easy start this year. It felt great to be back on the top step after a tough run and hopefully it was a big confidence boost for them too, because they’ve been doing a great job all season.”
Heading to Canada Hamilton’s confidence is back to phenomenal heights, and the Brit will be hoping to take victory and put the pressure back on his main rival and Mercedes AMG PETRONAS team-mate Nico Rosberg, though the Brit knows it will no longer be quite that easy with rival teams now also threatening to get in on the action.
“There’s a long way to go yet, though. We’ve seen from these opening six races that anything’s possible and these swings inevitably go both ways. We are the greatest team – but we have more pressure from our rivals than ever before, so it’s important we keep pulling together and refining any weak areas.
“I’ve proven that I’m just as strong as I’ve ever been and I will be for the rest of the year. Montreal has always been a good track for me, so hopefully I’m able to shine like I did the first time I went there in that great city atmosphere.”
The Brackley-based squad are aware of the very real threat that the Red Bull Racing team now pose, and will be pushing harder than ever to ensure they can maintain their lead at the top.
