Here I am, a bit late to the party, but still feeling the vibes.

Força Ferrari

From Lewis: “To the fans that keep reminding me of who I am!”

There is something impressive about a man rediscovering himself in front of millions. Sr. Lewis put the memories of a challenging debut season with the Scuderia firmly behind him by storming to victory last Sunday, overcoming the two Mercedes drivers on an aggressive three-stop strategy, carried further still by a late-race Virtual Safety Car. His first win on red.

As a long-term fan, I carry a mixture of absolute admiration and something that feels a lot like relief. What a journey it has been. The relief, I think, comes from the discomfort of ever having to question a driver of Lewis’s calibre. And relief too, because he just reminded us all of what we old-schoolers always knew lived inside him. It really felt at times like we had seen the best of Lewis. But what we witnessed on Sunday is the best of Lewis, and it arrived on the back of his strongest start to a season in years.

He has had his mojo back since the beginning of the year, and there is something genuinely beautiful about watching that. It may feel to some like jumping on a bandwagon, but the sport does not lie. The performances speak, and that one spoke loudly.

This is more of a celebration post than anything else. I am still in awe, quietly sitting with the fact that he is second in the World Championship.

Image courtesy of Scuderia Ferrari