And then there was Lewis. A lot of people expected him to call it a day after this season, but instead he signed a 2-year contract extension this weekend. That means he will continue his great work with Mercedes both on and off the track. The determination we’ve seen on track throughout his entire career is now also visible in his efforts to increase diversity in the sport that has brought him so much. It won’t be easy, but we’ve never known Lewis to back away from a fight. I am looking forward to seeing that winning mindset in action for a few more years!
Valtteri’s future, on the other hand, remains uncertain. With George Russell gunning for his seat and the media being all over him about it after every race, the way he is keeping his head down is impressive. He maximized points for himself and Mercedes, and was there when he needed to be. I have no clue if he will still have a seat at Mercedes next year, but I have massive respect for his resilience in the face of so much uncertainty (because let me remind y’all again, if there’s one thing our brains DO NOT LIKE then it’s uncertainty, and it takes a special kind of person to deal with such circumstances effectively).
And speaking of special people: can we talk about George Russell for a minute? What a weekend! He extracted absolutely every ounce of performance out of that car. And it was so great to see the reactions at Williams when George made it to Q3, and when he tried keeping Alonso at bay at the end of the race. This team shows many of the behaviors I’ve also found in my research into successful, resilient, high performance cultures. Hopefully the 2022 regulations will allow this legendary and amazing team to fight for podiums again!
And then there was Lando. Lando Norris, who, in the past, has sounded almost apologetically humble about his performance. He’s not apologetic about anything anymore. He rocked it. He had Hamilton breathe down his neck lap after lap after lap, and had to deal with receiving a (highly debated!) 5-second penalty for forcing Sergio Perez off the track. That couldn’t stop Lando though. He charged his way back up the field and ended up P3. Lando is known for his witty comments and great sense of humour, but his driving skills aren’t funny. They are fantastic. If McLaren continue improving their car the way they have these past seasons, they have a world championship candidate in their midst.
Bring on Silverstone!