Lewis Hamilton puts Sir Jackie Stewart claim to bed after British Grand Prix victory

Lewis Hamilton offered the perfect response to Sir Jackie Stewart's assertion he no longer possesses the "hunger" for F1 at the British Grand Prix.

After a 945-day wait, the seven-time world champion celebrated the taste of victory once more on home soil. He looked incredibly moved after setting a new record of having the most wins on a single track, taking his tally at Silverstone to nine on Sunday.

This superb win eased nearly three years of building pressure following two challenging seasons with Mercedes. Questions had been raised about his future in the sport, including from fellow motorsport icon Stewart.

Last September, the 85-year-old cast doubt over Hamilton's motivation, telling German outlet Bild, he said: "First of all, Lewis is one of the best to ever drive in Formula 1. But the truth is that in the last decade, he competed with Mercedes for a team that was virtually out of competition.

"During this time, Lewis only had one real competitor: his respective team-mate. Except for 2016, he always emerged victorious from the duel. And then he lost to Nico Rosberg. With respect: a good driver, but not the most talented in the world.

"But Rosberg was hungry and had the absolute will to become world champion. Lewis no longer has that hunger. Because of that and because the car is no longer quite as powerful he has serious problems."

Hamilton certainly didn't look like a man who had lost his passion at the weekend. Emotions got the better of him as he immediately teared up after crossing the line, and the waterworks continued in his interview with Sky Sports, which summed up just how much passion he still has.

"I can't stop crying," he confessed. "It's been since 2021, every day getting up, trying to fight, train, put my mind to the task, and work as hard as I can with this amazing team. This is my last British Grand Prix with this team.

"I wanted to win this so much for them because I love them and appreciate them so much for all the hard work they've been putting in over the years. I'm forever grateful for everyone in this team. It's so tough [not winning since 2021].

"But the important thing is how you continue to dig deep even when you feel like you're at the bottom of the barrel. There's definitely been days between 2021 and here when I didn't feel like I was good enough or I was going to get back to where I am today. But the most important thing is that I had great people around me. A big, big thank you to everyone at the factory, and everyone here."

Racing legend Stewart bagged three F1 world championships between 1965 to 1973 and in his nine-season career, the Flying Scot also finished runner-up in the standings twice.

His remarks did receive a response from Hamilton last year. The Englishman hit back by calling him "short-minded" and urged veterans of the sport to encourage the next generation, rather than bringing them down.