Lewis Hamilton admitted that he is motivated to compete with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for the Formula 1 (F1) championship title this season and end his two-year win drought with Mercedes.
Hamilton, 38, last won a race in 2021 and has been winless since then. On the other hand, Verstappen, Hamilton's long-standing rival, has triumphed in nearly 40 races, clinching two more drivers' championships along the way.
The 38-year-old's last win came at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and since then, Verstappen has completely taken over the sport and has been asserting his dominance.
Hamilton, who turns 39 on January 7, will be the second-oldest driver on the grid, behind Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, but despite his age, the Brit remained confident and hopeful of glory in 2024.
"It's the dream of standing on the top step, seeing your team," Hamilton said (via Autosport).
"One of the most amazing things is being able to look back and having the flag of the nation rising behind you, and seeing the team.
"I remember the first win I had with this team [in Hungary in 2013]. I have a particular picture of 2015 in Australia with the [team] down there in tears – it was just amazing to be a part of that.
"The power of that is a huge part of the drive. Winning the world championship is a huge part of the drive.”
Remember, Mercedes is pursuing an entirely new F1 car concept for the upcoming season as they strive to close the gap on Red Bull, who dominated all but one race last year.
It must be noted that Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013 from McLaren and went on to win six world titles with the brand cementing his name as one of the best Formula 1 drivers. His last title win was in 2020 while his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas was the runner-up.