Lewis Hamilton has described the "powerful" feeling of the resolve of his Mercedes team to bounce back after a difficult year.
After eight consecutive constructors' titles, 2022 was a year of regression for the Silver Arrows. They failed to hit the ground running in this new era of technical regulations, and were playing catch-up to their Ferrari and Red Bull rivals all year in terms of car performance.
It meant Hamilton was not in his usual position of being the man to beat on track. Instead, he and new team-mate George Russell had to fight for as many points as they could and take advantage of any situations where one of the top two teams slipped up.
Russell got his maiden Formula 1 win in Brazil in the penultimate race of the year, but there would be no such joy for Hamilton. It meant, for the first time in his entire, incredibly F1 career, he finished a campaign without standing on the top step of a podium.
Despite the disappointment of that, he had a positive outlook on the future in terms of what this year of relative hardship might do for his Mercedes team, and its staff who are so used to setting the standard in the sport.
"There have been so many scenarios like that this year where I think that honestly, the journey has been the most important part and this year, we are winners this year, to me," said Hamilton, speaking prior to that one glorious weekend in Brazil for the team.
"Obviously, not in how it is seen outside in terms of numbers, but I feel everyone in the team this year is a winner. They've all dug so deep, they've given absolutely everything. Nobody has given up and everyone has overcome whatever emotions they have had of not being at the forefront. I'm really proud of everybody.
"So that, for me, is even more powerful than winning every single race." And even though he was not winning on the track in the traditional sense, the seven-time world champion insists he enjoyed the feeling of squeezing every ounce of performance out of his car even when it was clear he was not in the running for a race win.
He added: "Honestly, I've felt so many times throughout the year, there have been so many experiences where I've felt like we've won. Getting a fourth place, a fifth place or finally getting that podium, in those moments, we were all so elated that it almost felt like a win."
