Lewis Hamilton has admitted that dominating Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends felt “so boring.” The seven-time World Champion also explained why he finds racing more rewarding now that he has to fight harder on track for success in the sport.

Between 2014 and 2020, Hamilton won every F1 World Championship, apart from 2016, when his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg took the title. Particularly in the latter part of that era, Hamilton sometimes secured pole position and drove into the distance without a significant challenge from other drivers. In his entire F1 career, Hamilton won 61 times from pole position. More than any other driver.

Hamilton has admitted this became boring. “It’s so boring when you’re starting from first and leading the race all the way through. It’s really boring compared to fighting from the back,” Hamilton explained on the Performance People podcast. But Hamilton enjoyed plenty of success and became, statistically, the greatest driver of all time.

Why Hamilton found it boring

“Because it’s not racing. You could be on a test. You are fighting a time gap from behind you. You have to psyche yourself into thinking you’re fighting a car ahead. You have to be chasing something. It’s different when you have a car, or cars ahead of you, and it’s a track you can overtake like Austin or Silverstone. Trying to discover different lines, utilising the tyres, and the wind. Then you finally get someone. In battle, that’s the best thing and the most rewarding experience as a driver,” Hamilton added.

Mercedes missed the mark when the 2022 rules and regulations were introduced in Formula 1. In fact, it took nearly 1,000 days for Hamilton to win a race. He returned to winning ways at the 2024 British Grand Prix in Silverstone. The Brit will enter a new chapter of his Formula 1 career next season when he moves to Ferrari.