BREAKING: Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton Admits to Not Leaving Chinese GP Hotel for Three Days After…read more
BREAKING: Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton Admits to Not Leaving Chinese GP Hotel for Three Days After…read more
Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he did not leave his hotel room for three days following his devastating loss in the 2007 Chinese Grand Prix, a moment that cost him the world championship in his rookie season.
The seven-time world champion had an impressive debut year with McLaren in 2007, securing four victories and 12 podium finishes. Heading into the penultimate race of the season in China, Hamilton led the championship with a 12-point advantage over teammate Fernando Alonso.
A Heartbreaking Turn of Events
After securing pole position, Hamilton faced challenging conditions on race day, with the track transitioning from wet to dry while rain still loomed over Shanghai. The decisive moment came on lap 30 when Hamilton, struggling with worn tyres, entered the pits on a still-damp surface. His McLaren skidded off the track and became stuck in the gravel, forcing his retirement from the race.
This marked Hamilton’s only non-top-ten finish of the season and proved catastrophic for his title hopes. Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen went on to win both the Chinese and Brazilian Grands Prix, clinching the 2007 drivers’ championship by a single point over Hamilton and Alonso.
### Hamilton’s Emotional Struggle
Reflecting on the painful defeat in a recent interview with *W Magazine China*, Hamilton admitted that the loss hit him hard and took an emotional toll.
“I think it’s a part of a growing process. If I look back to the first year I came here to Shanghai, I remember after the race I didn’t leave my hotel room for three days,” Hamilton shared.
“It took me a long time to really bounce back from the feeling I was having. I couldn’t understand the pain I was feeling or where it was coming from. Of course, I knew it was coming from an event I just had, but I couldn’t control it. I didn’t have the tools, and I think it’s really about, as you go through life, finding those tools to aid you through difficult times.”
### Redemption in 2008
Although the 2007 season ended in heartbreak, Hamilton bounced back in dramatic fashion a year later. At the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, he famously overtook Timo Glock on the final lap to secure his first world championship.
Since then, Hamilton has gone on to become one of the most successful drivers in F1 history, but his revelation about the emotional toll of 2007 serves as a reminder of the mental challenges that come with competing at the highe
st level of motorsport.
