Lewis Hamilton has forever changed the way everyone perceives F1. He holds the record of most wins, pole positions, and podium finishes. Hamilton would have broken the record for most championship titles too, had it not been for the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix tipping scales in Max Verstappen’s favor.

Since then, Lewis Hamilton has had a rough time of it, with nary a win this season. It has been a tough climb back and Hamilton opened up about it recently.

Lewis Hamilton took inspiration from Serena Williams

In an interview recently, the Mercedes driver spoke about the struggles of failure and making the climb back up.

Commenting on the mental impact of having a rough patch in a sports career, Hamilton said, “So it’s really just about taking time to sit back, reflect, figure out what you can do better.”

“As athletes, we are super-determined, we don’t like to lose, we don’t like to fail. Failure is not an option, but sometimes you do, and that’s part of the process. It’s how you then don’t beat yourself up or beat yourself down, it’s how you take it on, put it on your back and use it as experience to power forward.”

Truly inspiring words from one inspiring man. But Hamilton was also in turn inspired by others. Speaking on his own idols, who give him motivation, the Mercedes driver remarked, “I take a lot of inspiration from other athletes like watching Serena.”

“Seeing everything she’s gone through and in conversations, just the way she’s pulled herself back up and the great performances… she is just such a warrior and she’s my inspiration right now.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton Reveals His Sole Purpose in F1: “It’s Not About the Championship…”

Listening to Lewis Hamilton speaks about the way he views his struggles, it is difficult not to feel hope. May the Mercedes driver never lose this hope himself.

Hamilton and Williams fangirling about each other

This isn’t the first time Lewis Hamilton has gushed about Serena Williams, though.

Previously, when TIME magazine did a feature on Serena Williams, it reported Hamilton being inspired by Williams as an aspiring F1 driver.

“They were the two most inspiring sports figures for me,” Hamilton said of Venus and Serena Williams. “Especially growing up in my sport, where I’m the only person of color, seeing these two prominent figures, also the only people of color, really gave me a lot of confidence that I can do something similar. It’s not impossible.”

Hamilton had also paid tribute to the tennis star prior to the Dutch Grand Prix, commemorating her decision to retire, in an Instagram post. “To be so bold, Black, brave and, above all, a kind and caring human being is beautiful.”

And his admiration did not go unreciprocated. Serena Williams also publicly admired the F1 champion. When asked to name her top 5 GOATs, she put Lewis Hamilton first.

But like his hero Serena Williams, is Lewis Hamilton considering retirement anytime soon? Hamilton put those speculations to rest with a few words.

He said, “For years we’ve been going around, up and down with stories of retirement and stopping. For me, I feel healthier than I’ve ever felt, as I focus a lot on that – I’m feeling fit. I love what I’m doing and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon . . . I feel like I can race for quite a bit longer”

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It would definitely be a mistake to count Lewis Hamilton out of the running anytime soon. Red Bull and Ferrari better watch their backs for Hamilton’s comeback.