Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he is still suffering from the effects of Covid-19, which he contracted at the end of last year, after suffering dizziness at yesterday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
The seven-times Formula One world champion initially finished third at the Hungaroring, though was promoted to second last night after Sebastian Vettel — who took the chequered flag ahead of Hamilton — was disqualified. This was because officials were unable to take the mandatory one-litre sample of fuel from his Aston Martin after the incident-packed race, which was won by Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, the Frenchman’s maiden F1 victory.
Hamilton staged a stunning recovery drive, having fallen to last place because of a blunder by his Mercedes team after a restart. They kept him out on intermediate tyres for a single lap while every other driver came into the pits to change to dry tyres. The fightback has put the 36-year-old back on top of the drivers’ championship, but after the race he looked exhausted and could be seen resting his hands on his knees as he struggled to stand. He was immediately taken to see the team doctor as he complained of severe fatigue.
“I’m OK, I had really big dizziness and everything got a bit blurry on the podium,” he said. “I have been fighting all year, really, after what happened at the end of last year, and it is still a battle.”
Hamilton tested positive for coronavirus in November and had to miss the Sakhir Grand Prix. He returned for the Abu Dhabi race a week later and it was clear then that he was still suffering from the virus. Asked if he had long Covid, the symptoms of which can last for weeks or months after the infection has gone, Hamilton said: “I haven’t spoken to anyone particularly about it but I think it is lingering. Training’s been different since [having Covid] and the levels of fatigue you get are different. It’s a real challenge. I’m just continuing to try and train and prepare the best way I can. Who knows what it is today. Maybe it’s hydration, I don’t know, but I’ve definitely not had that experience.
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“I had something similar in Silverstone [after the British Grand Prix two weeks ago] but this is way worse.”
Despite feeling well below par, Hamilton drove superbly to come from 14th and last on lap five to finish on the podium. A first-lap collision had led to the race being stopped and when it restarted, with the track drying out after heavy rain in the morning, Hamilton stayed on wet tyres, while the other 13 drivers changed theirs. In temperatures exceeding 30C, Hamilton spent the next hour fighting his way through the field.
With his rival Max Verstappen caught up in the first-lap carnage and only able to finish ninth, Hamilton heads into the summer break with an eight-point lead in the drivers’ championship. Crucially, he also now has three weeks off to rest, as F1 has its mid-season shutdown.
