What is the carbon effect, you ask? Carbon under intense pressure creates diamonds. Equilibrium of that pressure allows this to happen. Uneven pressure sees the weak carbon crumble to dust or be pushed aside. “The whole package”?
Lewis Hamilton moved to Mercedes in 2013 in what most at the time called a huge gamble and thought he was a bit out of sorts. Since joining Mercedes, Lewis has taken a title in every season except 2013, 2016, and 2021, bringing his total to match that of Michael Schumacher. He has managed to take the title…in…every…season…besides those three! Was it just the best package? Yes and no, let me explain.
Mercedes or not, Lewis Hamilton is a champion and commiserate professional. He’s won titles with more than one team and consistently beaten teammates. Few drivers win titles with more than one team.
What is the carbon effect, you ask? Carbon under intense pressure creates diamonds. Equilibrium of that pressure allows this to happen. Uneven pressure sees the weak carbon crumble to dust or be pushed aside. “The whole package”?
The best package? Drivers are part of the package, so yes.
It has been said that Cristiano Ronaldo’s stress indicators remain constant in either of the two scenarios…resting or standing in front of millions to make the game-winning PK shot in the world cup final. That is equilibrium under pressure.
Have you ever gotten in front of hundreds of people to speak publically? Early in my career, I could not focus in this situation. It was as if someone threw my words on a desk and re-arranged them all! These days, I love speaking in front of groups, and it doesn’t bother me at all. Honestly, the more I’m forced to wing it, the more comfortable I am on stage.
Look at Pierre Gasly during his time at Red Bull Racing. Pierre is among the fastest and most promising young drivers on the grid and almost lost it all due to uneven pressure coping. You must have strength all around to create equilibrium. Pierre crumbled under the team, Max, and media/fan pressure. Luckily, he’s had the chance to move to a place to develop a more even skillset in Alpha Tauri out of the intense fire. Time will tell if he’s grown in that area as he seems to have everything else under control.
Lewis Hamilton’s secret is pressure coping and consistency. Can you imagine the pressure of everyone on the planet expecting you to win, pole, and break records every…single…weekend? You’re an imbecile if you think that is easy because Mercedes has a strong car. Rosberg is no slouch. Bottas is no slouch. Lewis sent them both packing.
Go ahead and vilify a guy like Lance Armstrong (I just listened to his Joe Rogan podcast this am), but he was like this too, albeit under different circumstances. Winning this 2,500mi race over and over is no small feat, even while doping. Don’t forget that during those years, the other top winners admittedly were doping too. So all things being equal (equally doped), he could take the pressure and consistently win. Note: I do not condone this behavior; just making the statement that Lance didn’t win JUST because he was doping. Similarly, Lewis isn’t JUST winning because Mercedes has a fast car.
I’ve been in sales most of my career, and at the top, you’re ALWAYS expected to stay there…and get better. And EVERYONE is trying to take that away from you. Your sales team is trying to dethrone you, your competitors are trying to take you out, and in some cases, prospects have it out for you. I’ve watched top performers at other companies get taken out by other salespeople digging for personal dirt on salespeople rather than just being “better” salespeople.
Winning seven titles against Kovalainen, Rosberg, and Bottas is no small feat. These are fast drivers, and even Rosberg admitted to retiring due to the intense pressure on himself and sacrifices to his family required to beat Lewis. It took EVERY ounce of energy and focus for this to happen, and Nico had nothing left in the tank to continue without sacrificing his family in the process.
So, Lewis’s secret is just being a master of his craft, outworking everyone around him, and encouraging and leading a team around him to push to their limits. His ability to cope with the pressure consistently day in and day out…over and over…without fail. That is so easy to talk about, but doing it is a whole other thing! This applies to ALL, not just race car drivers. I’ve applied this in my career and personal life.
2022, in my opinion, will be proof of this for Lewis. George Russell will push Lewis to a level not yet seen to date. Lewis’s work ethic will be eye-opening to George, and he will grow due to that witness. It will be like George jumping on a treadmill rolling at a full sprint this year. 2022 will be an amazing season to see Lewis take his fight to an entirely new level AND watch George grow like never before.