‘When Lewis hasn’t got it, I’ll let you know’ – Anthony Hamilton reflects on his son’s emotional return to winning at Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton’s father Anthony has given an insight into the emotions of watching his son return to winning ways at the British Grand Prix, with Hamilton Snr insisting he “never doubted” that the seven-time world champion still had the ability to do it.

Having not won a race since Saudi Arabia in 2021, Hamilton enjoyed a long-awaited victory in front of his home crowd at Silverstone, a full 945 days since that last P1 result. The moment proved to be highly emotional for the 39-year-old, who was heard choking back the tears over the radio before sharing a long embrace with his father after jumping out of the car (see the clip below).

Hamilton’s 104th F1 win might have been a long time coming – amid some challenging times for Mercedes in recent years – but Anthony gave a firm response when asked on Sky Sports F1 about those who may have questioned whether his son could still compete at the highest level.

“The thing is, when Lewis hasn’t got it, I’ll let you know,” said Anthony. “But you can never doubt Lewis, can you? Don’t forget, he started this when he was eight years of age.

2024 British Grand Prix: Emotional scenes in parc ferme as Hamilton celebrates a record ninth Silverstone win

“We started from a council house, we worked hard to get to where we are, and every day he still does the same graft, so he never comes [here] half-hearted – he comes full-hearted and gives his all.”

Reflecting further on his son’s achievement during a chat on F1 TV, Anthony detailed the emotional moment that he shared with Hamilton post-race.

“It’s one of those things – you always want the best for your kids and for your family, and I just wanted to be there for Lewis,” he explained. “It was nice to be there, the right time, because he had a lot of emotion to let loose, and I’m the only guy I’m sure that he’d be able to do that with, so it was great to be there.”

Hamilton has spoken openly about the self-doubt he faced during the past two seasons in which he went without a win and, when asked how hard it had been for the world champion to pick himself back up, Anthony responded: “He’s done that on his own, and for sure he questions himself like we all do occasionally.

NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes poses for — Hamilton's family were on hand to help him celebrate his win at Silverstone

“You question yourself and you question whether you’re still good enough, young enough, strong enough. The thing is, I know Lewis, and as far as I’m concerned he’s still got everything that he needs to run at the top, and sometimes you just need reminding about that. But he knows he’s got it, and what a huge confidence boost for him today.”

The race was a thrilling one for fans, with the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Hamilton initially leading before McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri swept through. But as the conditions evolved throughout the wet-dry encounter, it was Hamilton who eventually got the better of Norris after the final pit stops.

On the experience of watching the event as a father, Anthony added: “The thing is, it’s always nerve-wracking because you just want the best for your kids, and you want the best for Lewis because I know how hard he works for things.

“Today it was up and down, the emotion was up and down, but I had full confidence that, whatever happened, he was going to give his best, and when Lewis gives his best it normally ends up with the win.”