1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has said Lewis Hamilton appears to be “very emotional in his driving”, with “ups and downs” unlike Max Verstappen.
Hamilton got himself back onto the top step of the podium at his home race at Silverstone for the first time since 2021, a moment Villeneuve described as the Mercedes driver being “the champion we know”, though also referenced “swings in his moods” from his time in Formula 1.
The seven-time World Champion’s victory in Great Britain proved to be one of the most emotional of his career, breaking the longest barren drought he has ever faced in Formula 1 while doing so in front of his home crowd, breaking down in tears over team radio after crossing the line in what was his first win in more than 50 races.
Villeneuve highlighted that he should expect an “emotional rollercoaster” when he moves to Ferrari next season, with the pressure of the Italian media and the size of the fanbase among the largest in the sport.
In discussing his home victory last month, the 1997 World Champion compared his emotion to that of Verstappen, but praised his “killer instinct” for showing itself once again at Silverstone.
“Lewis Hamilton will be [on] an emotional rollercoaster at Ferrari,” Villeneuve told Instant Casino.
“He seems to be very emotional in his driving, in the highs and lows, and it seems to affect him quite a lot.
“You can tell he was on a roll and in the zone at Silverstone – he hasn’t been in the zone like that for a while.
“Every season he’s driven, Hamilton has had ups and downs, he’s never had a season like Max Verstappen. There’s always swings in his moods, it might be self-doubt but I’m not sure.
“Most of the season, it’s looked like Hamilton was accepting defeat to George Russell, which is weird. In Silverstone, his killer instinct was bad and he made the difference in the rain. That’s the champion we know, he knows how to take hold of an occasion.”
In another comparison to Verstappen, Villeneuve explained the impact that emotional responses can have on any driver, but that the current World Champion has also had a “taxing” time of things in a tighter 2024 season so far.
“Emotions can suck your energy dry, it’s not a great feeling,” Villeneuve said.
“Max Verstappen feels it too, but he’s able to replenish that energy to win a race week after week.
“Every race weekend in 2021 was taxing for him, the next two years were a lot more relaxed but this year he has had to work very hard to perform. That amount of effort can be taxing and tire you out.”
