Hamilton acknowledges that he questioned his own performance as he opens up on his emotional Silverstone victory

Having secured his first win since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton ended a 56-race streak without a win in the wet and wild race of Silverstone.

There were sensational scenes at Mercedes on Sunday. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton started from the front row at Silverstone, and led the early phases of the race.

The rainy phase of the grand prix saw the two Mercedes men drop behind the McLarens, and Russell was forced to retire with a reliability issue. However, a perfectly-timed second pit stop saw Hamilton retake the lead from Norris to clinch his first victory since Saudi Arabia 2021, ending a 56-race streak.

Speaking of his emotions after the Silverstone race, Hamilton added: "I can't stop crying. I think, you know, since 2021, I’m just every day getting up, trying to fight, to train, to put my mind to the task and work as hard as I can with this amazing team and this is my last race here, the British Grand Prix, with this team so I wanted to win this so much for them, because I love them, I appreciate them so much, all the hard work they’ve been putting in over the years.

"I'm forever grateful to everyone in this team, everyone at Mercedes, and all of our partners. And I just want to say thank you to all of you for being here with us today."

Despite having won 103 races before his latest Silverstone victory, the seven-time world champion acknowledged that his recent results made him think that he "was not good enough".

"It's so tough, I think, for anyone. But I think the important thing is just how you continue to get up and you've got to continue to dig deep even when you feel like you're at the bottom of the barrel.

"I mean, there's definitely been days between 2021 and here where I didn't feel like I was good enough or whether I was going to get back to where I am today. But the important thing is I had great people around me continuing to support me and my team. Every time I turn up and see them putting in the effort that really encouraged me to do the same thing.

"And otherwise, my fans, when I see them around the world, they have been so supportive. So a big, big thank you to everybody back at the factory, everyone here. I love you guys, and God bless you.

It was Hamilton's ninth win at Silverstone – an F1 record at a single circuit. However, he needed to wait 946 days to clinch his 104th F1 win after the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

"I think ultimately because it's been such a long time," Hamilton continued. "It's been 900… Someone just told me 946 days or something like that since the last win. And, you know, really challenging, you know, a difficult time obviously 2021 and then coming back in with a car that we've not been able to fight with for the last couple of years.

"I think just it's been incredibly mentally challenging. I think for everyone in the team, but I think just knowing how hard everyone's continued to work, knowing how I've managed just to keep my head in it.

"And then with everything that's happened this year as well, with so many emotions this year, obviously announcing that I'm that I'm leaving and at the same time starting with a car that we didn't feel that we could win with to then finally be in a place where we win and not only that but at the British Grand Prix in front of my home crowd there is.

"Honestly, it's the most incredible honour to be standing on the top of the podium and hearing the national anthem with the King's name in it, for example. It's the first time I've had that. And then also my family's here.

Mercedes started the season off the pace. The Brackley-based outfit made fundamental changes to the concept of its car, but the early stages of the season saw Mercedes struggle for pace and the performance of its car fluctuated from session to session.

However, the Anglo-German team launched an aggressive development push in Imola, having added upgraded parts on a regular basis since the first Italian round of the season.

"Well, you know I have a really bad memory, but I honestly, I'm really very much about living in the present, and this does feel… I don't feel like I'm able to compare this one to any other to me.

"I had so many great moments and moments where I didn't think that I was going to be able to win, like the first Grand Prix win here in 2008. You know, I qualified terribly, well P4, but it felt like I wasn't in with a shot of winning a Grand Prix, and then it rained, and obviously I had that great feeling. So many moments through. I think being at your home Grand Prix.

"That's the longest stint that I've not had a win, 945 days. And the emotion that's accumulated over that time. So this one feels, could be one of the most special ones for me, I think, if not the most special one.

Despite turning forty next January, Hamilton noted that he still had many ambitions. He will depart from Mercedes at the end of the year to join Formula One's most successful outfit, Ferrari, but he stressed that the last phase of his Mercedes stint enjoys priority in his life.

"What I can say is that I'm not giving up. I feel like I'm making the right decisions with my life, with how I prepare and how I manage my time, the decision I've taken, for example, for next year, the commitment I still have to this team and the love that I still have for this team and the love that I still have for my job.

"I really, really love this job. And there's never going to be anything that comes close to it. And it's something I'm incredibly grateful for, to be in amongst these 20 drivers within this great sport that's having such a momentous time. We just had the launch of the trailer of the movie today. I do hope.

"Honestly, when I came back in 2022, I thought that I was over it. And I know I wasn't and it's taken a long time for sure to heal that kind of feeling. And that's only natural for anyone that has that experience. And I've just been continuing to try and work on myself and find that inner peace day by day.

The seven-time world champion had a brutally successful time at Mercedes between 2014 and 2021 in which he secured a total of 81 victories.

After having taken the chequered flag first at Silverstone, Hamilton explained that his latest victory was emotionally very different to his previous win given the lengthy winless drought.

"Absolutely. It feels different to previous races and particularly races where you're having race after race or seasons where you're having multiple wins.

"I think with the kind of the adversity I would say that we've gone through as a team and that I personally felt, that I've experienced, those challenges, the constant challenge like we all have to get out of bed every day and give it our best shot.

"And, you know, there's so many times where you feel like your best shot is just not good enough. And the disappointment sometimes that you can feel, you know, and we live in a time where mental health is such a serious issue.

"And I'm not going to lie, that I have experienced that. And there's definitely been moments where you know, the thought that this was it, that that was never going to happen again.

"So to have this feeling come across the line, I think, honestly, I've never cried coming from a win. It just came out of me. And it's a really, really great feeling. I'm very, very grateful for it," concluded Hamilton.