Lewis Hamilton Celebrated His Bahrain GP Podium Like an F1 World Championship Victory

The hype around the race week is gathering pace as Formula 1 returns to action after a 2 week break. Australia is back on the calendar for the first time since 2019 after not hosting races for 2 years because of Covid-19 pandemic. On the track, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have not endured the best of starts. The likes of Ferrari and Red Bull are leading the way in terms of pace and potential in the car.

However, Red Bull’s issues with the fuel system saw both cars retire in Bahrain. Red Bull’s loss was Mercedes’ gain, as Hamilton seized the opportunity and finished on the podium. A podium finish is like bread and butter for the Seven-time World Champion. But, former F1 driver Pedro de la Rosa revealed Hamilton celebrated it like winning a championship.

Pedro de la Rosa reveals Hamilton was pleased with a podium in Bahrain

Former F1 driver Pedro de la Rosa sat down with Tom Clarkson in the F1 Nation podcast to talk about the Australian Grand Prix and Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes came into the season with porpoising issues and could not match the pace of Red Bull and Ferrari. However, Hamilton secured an unlikely podium in Bahrain after Red Bull collapsed.

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Speaking on the incident, De la Rosa, said, “I mean, when he made it to the podium in Bahrain, I haven’t seen him as happy as that, possibly only when he was world champion, you know. We’ve seen Lewis win many Grand Prix where he hasn’t been as pleased, as happy as he was with third position in Bahrain. “

De la Rosa spoke highly of Hamilton. The Mercedes driver replaced De la Rosa in McLaren ahead of the 2007 Grand Prix and the rest, as they say, is history. The Spaniard also worked alongside Hamilton in McLaren when he was a test driver with the Woking-based team. It is certainly very interesting to hear a Seven-Time World Champion celebrating his 183rd podium like a World Championship.

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A P10 finish followed Hamilton’s shocking elimination in Q1 during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Hence, it explains why the Brit celebrated a podium in that fashion. Such are the issues Mercedes is currently facing, as they hope to bounce back in Australia. However, Red Bull and Ferrari are early pacesetters and are currently in a league of their own.

Can Hamilton rediscover his form and win an unparalleled 8th World Championship? Leave your thoughts in the comments.