Hamilton: German Grand Prix boos inspired victory drive from 14th
Lewis Hamilton says booing fans at last weekend's German Grand Prix helped to inspire his comeback drive to victory from 14th on the grid
The Briton recovered from a mechanical problem in qualifying at Hockenheim that left him down the order to take a surprise win that moved him back to the top of the world championship standings.
Hamilton faced jeers from fans of title rival Sebastian Vettel over the weekend, but said after the race that the reaction he received had made him more determined to do well.
"There was a lot of negativity before the race," said the Mercedes driver.
"When you come to England, going around I don't remember any of the fans booing. We've got quite a good group of fans in England.
"And when I came here, there was a lot of booing.
"The weird thing is that I was really happy about it. It was unusual. It's weird that I'm still happy.
"It was because I kept seeing individually, a couple of different British flags in amongst a hundred or a thousand [others].
"It was a sea of red and then you've got a British flag in there.
"Then you have people from Mexico, people from England, you have people from I think Nigeria or somewhere in Africa with Hamilton shirts on - the name Hamilton on, standing in amongst the red.
"It was just so positive for me. That's why I said at the end, that love conquers all."
"Honestly, I don't need to search for a boost or energy from other people's business. I just focus on mine," he said.
"I'm just focussed on trying to be the best I can be in myself. Because the best me - if I'm my best and my higher self - I feel like I'm able to drive like I was able to today, regardless of all the people and who else is around doing whatever they are doing.
"So, I did say when I came here that you can see things and they can often be maybe a sign of weakness.
"As I said, if we just kept our heads down, we knew this weekend Ferrari were going to be quick - and they're ridiculously quick on the straights.
"I'm just really proud of my guys as well, not getting phased by this fight that we're having.
"They could easily jump to conclusions and say, 'Oh well, they're doing this or they're doing that', instead of, 'all we can do is control our own destiny'.
"All we can do is work on our starts, try and improve, make sure we do a better job understanding the car, doing a better job, pushing for better aero performance - all these different things."
The extra change F1 should make for 2019
Formula 1 announces documentary covering eSports Pro Draft
The pioneering pair who brought a new glory era to an F1 heavyweight
With the team’s founder now retired and a new boss at the helm, change was coming to Brabham – change that would shape the future of Formula 1. In the third part of our four-part history of Brabham, DAMIEN SMITH examines the effect Bernie Ecclestone had on the team
The combination behind the Silverstone racing battles Hamilton called "F1 at its best"
OPINION: The late battling in the British Grand Prix wowed Formula 1 fans and surely represents the best racing action of the season so far. And there was a cocktail of factors that created the action, from which Carlos Sainz emerged as a popular new winner
How Ferrari’s Monaco headache became its Silverstone migraine
OPINION: Ferrari won the British Grand Prix with Carlos Sainz, but it ultimately cost Charles Leclerc a chance to make a bigger dent in Max Verstappen's title lead by leaving the Monegasque out on old tyres towards the end. Like Monaco, indecision over strategy proved to be the Scuderia's biggest issue - and if the team doesn't reflect, the headache can only intensify
The five factors behind Sainz winning a British GP he’d twice lost
Formula 1 has a newest race winner, in a grand prix the victor appeared to have lost twice, only to charge back to headline a sensational and dramatic British Grand Prix. From a massive start crash to a late sprint finish, here’s how five factors saw Carlos Sainz take his maiden grand prix win
Why there was no case to answer in Aston’s latest F1 copycat saga
The appearance of a revised Aston Martin in Spain caused controversy but PAT SYMONDS explains why the FIA investigation found the Silverstone team had no case to answer
Why it's Red Bull that really leads a three-way fight so far at Silverstone
After a slow start to Friday at Silverstone, all the Formula 1 teams had to effectively cram in a day’s worth of practice into one hour. But there was still plenty to learn and while Ferrari topped the times, a three-way battle is brewing ahead of the British Grand Prix
Why the future is bright for the British GP
It wasn’t so long ago the situation looked bleak at Silverstone with the future of the British Grand Prix under threat. But a transformation has seen it restored to one of the most important races on the Formula 1 calendar, with bigger and better to come
Could mixed fortunes for F1's leading Brits turn around at Silverstone?
For the first time in many years, none of the local racers starts among the favourites for the British Grand Prix. But George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris could have reasons for optimism