Lewis Hamilton: Other F1 drivers celebrate inherited wins more than me
Lewis Hamilton believes other Formula 1 drivers would celebrate an inherited victory more than he did in Azerbaijan on Sunday, because he is "wired differently"
Hamilton took the lead in the closing laps after Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas suffered a right rear puncture, and he delayed the podium ceremony to seek out the Finn to commiserate with him post-race.
The reigning world champion believes he has been on the receiving end of races determined by luck in the past, with other winning drivers being more exuberant in their celebrations.
"This is a lottery race, and whether or not you use 'gifted' as the word, I don't know if I would use that, but it was a fortunate race for me," said Hamilton.
"I was standing on the podium believing that Valtteri should have been standing there, because I felt that he had earned it.
"It's definitely different when you feel that someone else had earned it that day.
"There have been days I've been on a podium where I've lost a grand prix, and it's been gifted to someone else, be it a couple of the drivers that are here, or one of the drivers that have left.
"The happiness they've had, doesn't matter whether they've earned it or not, fingers up in the air... I'm just wired differently.
"I could have done that today. I still won, and you take what you get. But I like to win because I've outsmarted and outwitted and outclassed every driver out there."
Hamilton felt his form in Baku was below his usual standard.
"Today I'm grateful for the win, but performance wise I feel like not entirely me, my performance didn't feel like it was on par with what I'm capable of doing," he said.
"I don't feel completely unworthy of the win, I still drove really well through the race.
"If my normal level is eagle, birdie, today was kind of like partly par, and then a couple of bogies.
"That kind of day, if any of you play golf. And normally when I play golf it's triple bogies!"
Asked if he saw the Baku win as justice for losing victory in Melbourne due to the timing of the virtual safety car: he said: "It doesn't feel like justice and it doesn't feel a relief either. I would say it's quite a humbling feeling.
"You never get it back. You never get a day back, do you? You never get a day back in our lives, and it's the same, you never get a win back."
How sub-par Hamilton won the Baku lottery
FIA: Nobody spotted debris Valtteri Bottas hit in Baku F1 race
Vandoorne hopes Peugeot WEC deal won't compromise Aston Martin F1 reserve role
Vandoorne hopes Peugeot WEC deal won't compromise Aston Martin F1 reserve role Vandoorne hopes Peugeot WEC deal won't compromise Aston Martin F1 reserve role
Aston Martin: 2026 gearbox “a golden opportunity” for F1 to cut costs
Aston Martin: 2026 gearbox “a golden opportunity” for F1 to cut costs Aston Martin: 2026 gearbox “a golden opportunity” for F1 to cut costs
Why a Mercedes U-turn couldn't deny Sauber's F1 debut surprise
Why a Mercedes U-turn couldn't deny Sauber's F1 debut surprise Why a Mercedes U-turn couldn't deny Sauber's F1 debut surprise
The F1 treasure map where Hamilton hopes Mercedes hits gold
The F1 treasure map where Hamilton hopes Mercedes hits gold The F1 treasure map where Hamilton hopes Mercedes hits gold
Hamilton: Mercedes needs best ever six months of F1 development to catch Red Bull
Hamilton: Mercedes needs best ever six months of F1 development to catch Red Bull Hamilton: Mercedes needs best ever six months of F1 development to catch Red Bull
Mercedes: Team orders to protect Hamilton despite “no sense” criticism
Mercedes: Team orders to protect Hamilton despite “no sense” criticism Mercedes: Team orders to protect Hamilton despite “no sense” criticism
Aston Martin admits it must turn around trend of F1 season
Aston Martin admits it must turn around trend of F1 season Aston Martin admits it must turn around trend of F1 season
NASCAR Cup Talladega: Blaney beats Harvick in photo finish
NASCAR Cup Talladega: Blaney beats Harvick in photo finish NASCAR Cup Talladega: Blaney beats Harvick in photo finish
Toyota joins WRC royalty with manufacturers' title three-peat
Toyota joins WRC royalty with manufacturers' title three-peat Toyota joins WRC royalty with manufacturers' title three-peat
WRC Chile: Tanak masterclass delivers victory for M-Sport
WRC Chile: Tanak masterclass delivers victory for M-Sport WRC Chile: Tanak masterclass delivers victory for M-Sport
Ranking the top 10 Benetton F1 drivers
Ranking the top 10 Benetton F1 drivers Ranking the top 10 Benetton F1 drivers
When Mansell and Senna settled their differences in an F1 pitlane scuffle
When Mansell and Senna settled their differences in an F1 pitlane scuffle When Mansell and Senna settled their differences in an F1 pitlane scuffle
The F1 treasure map where Hamilton hopes Mercedes hits gold
The F1 treasure map where Hamilton hopes Mercedes hits gold The F1 treasure map where Hamilton hopes Mercedes hits gold
The two F1 rules problems Perez’s recent mishaps expose
The two F1 rules problems Perez’s recent mishaps expose The two F1 rules problems Perez’s recent mishaps expose
How football has posed difficult questions for F1
How football has posed difficult questions for F1 How football has posed difficult questions for F1
The fans that offer a ray of light in an increasingly partisan F1
The fans that offer a ray of light in an increasingly partisan F1 The fans that offer a ray of light in an increasingly partisan F1
Japanese Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023
Japanese Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023 Japanese Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023
How Verstappen’s crushing Japanese GP win showed Singapore was a blip
How Verstappen’s crushing Japanese GP win showed Singapore was a blip How Verstappen’s crushing Japanese GP win showed Singapore was a blip
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.